Scars
by Obsian Caetus
Summary: Her scars held their own allure but it was the depth of the pain in those hardened, emerald eyes, the scars beneath the flesh, the torture of the regretful nightmares... and the threat of the Reapers that drew them together across the stars and through the fires of war.
1. Eden's Fall

_This is a re-draft/upload of the original Story. It follows the events of all 3 Mass Effect games and several of the DLC story-lines but with events surrounding Akuze and OC characters connected with Laura Shepard's 'unique' back-story. This story will also re-write or out-right ignore some events that happened in the original Mass Effect story line due to own personal ideas._

I originally wrote this story about a year ago but never finished and ended up losing my drive to do so. After much thinking and life events that have happened, I decided to return to fan-fiction writing, picking up the story Scars first. I will be uploading two chapters at a time when I have finished them. The original is long lost but this re-draft, I hope, will maintain the spirit of the relationship that builds between Commander Laura Shepard and Liara T'Soni and the hardships the Commander faces with her own demons.

As the original, this story maintains an M rating for sexual content, vulgar language, and disturbing imagery.

* * *

_"This is Second Lieutenant Laura Shepard to SSV Hammerhead! We are under attack and need immediate evac and air-support. I repeat, we are under attack by Thresh…"_

_ The communication line went dead as the ground gave a violent shake and the frame of the building quaked and rained debris shortly before the supports snapped and the building caved. She ran out into the open to avoid getting trapped, only to find one of the towering beasts waiting. She stared into the black depths of its gaping maw before the rain of acid…_

"AH!" Laura shouted as she woke with a sudden start, narrowly avoiding banging her head on the bunk above her.

Though it was a dream, the scar that marred the left side of her face and a good portion of the left side of her body itched in memory of the terrible acid burns that caused it. Looking at the time on her omni-tool, Laura got up and headed for the showers. She took a moment to glance at herself in the mirror. Pale bags were forming under her dull emerald eyes and her auburn hair was a mess. She looked like and felt like hell.

Commander Laura Shepard of the Alliance Navy, aboard the SSV Normandy on its maiden flight. She had been part of the Alliance since she had turned eighteen, following in the footsteps of her mother and father and their forbearers. However, after the botched mission on Akuze, which she barely survived, in 2177 CE, Shepard had been discharged up until about a year ago, where she was suddenly re-assigned to the position of Commander. She had been grateful for the second chance but she figured someone pressured someone up the chain of command and she had been stuck with crap assignments up until now.

Once cleaned and dressed, Shepard took her medication and headed out to explore the ship once more. She was already familiar with all the areas of the ship but it was still unsettling to 'feel' it. Unlike most Alliance warships, the SSV Normandy was designed to be a stealth frigate, incorporating technology and designs shared between the Alliance and the Council as a show of good faith between the two's cooperation. However, this assignment didn't come without its 'strings'. Laura was assigned under the command of Captain David Anderson, a man she respected and suspected had something to do with her having her promoted to such a high rank. There was also the matter of the turian aboard; the only alien amongst the completely human crew of the Normandy.

"Commander." Kaiden Alenko greeted as she walked into the cockpit, door hissing shut behind her.

"Fifteen minutes to relay jump." Joker announced, monitoring all the various displays in front of him while working the console.

Shepard noticed that the turian who joined them at the Citadel was standing there, painted face focused on the monitors in front of them. She thought of saying something to him but… what, exactly, could she say to a turian? She had heard talk around the ship he was a SPECTRE, the best one. There was a reason he was on the Normandy and it itched at her to know what it was. However, Laura distracted herself by averting her gaze to the windows, watching the Mass Relay get larger and larger as they approached.

"Making the jump in five… four… three…" Joker counted down, Shepard instinctively bracing herself for being thrown a great distance in a matter of seconds.

Surprisingly, the jump was much smoother than she was used to. There was a slight jolt when they connected but that was it. The Normandy was a quiet ride; Laura couldn't even feel the vibrations from the massive engine the ship was built around. The blur of lights outside suddenly stopped as they emerged far outside a planet. Laura recognized it from all the vid-ads as Eden Prime, a very well-known human colony.

"Everything looks solid… we're running under fifteen-hundred K." Joker reported as he and Kaiden finished checking over the Normandy's systems.

"Fifteen-hundred K is good. Your captain will be pleased." Nihilus, the turian, responded before leaving the cockpit.

"Good? GOOD?! What an asshole." Joker complained angrily as he operated the piloting interface.

"Nihilus gave you a compliment and you're complaining?" Kaiden asked in disbelief.

Laura kind of tuned out the exchange as she watched Eden Prime slowly get bigger. Of all places, why would they come out to this specific location? Something about this test run screamed covert ops and Laura was not liking that she was being kept in the dark like this.

"What do you think, Commander? Having a SPECTRE on board is pretty fishy." Joker asked, snapping her back to attention.

"SPECTRE? Whatever he's here for, it's likely strict need-to-know basis, so don't go sticking your nose where it doesn't belong Joker, ok? I don't need Anderson in a bad mood." Laura told him in annoyance.

Before he could respond, Captain Anderson called for her to meet him in the CIC room for a debriefing. She pondered if it had something to with why they were at Eden Prime and why a SPECTRE… no, not just a SPECTRE but the top agent of the SPECTREs from what she's heard around the ship, was escorting them. As she approached the CIC room, she noticed Dr. Chakwas was speaking with Jenkins… and she did not like the topic of the discussion when she overheard it.

"I seriously hope you're kidding corporal. Your idea of action usually involves me patching up bullet holes." Chakwas grumbled sourly, arms cross over her chest.

"Come on, there's a SPECTRE on board. This could be my chance to prove myself finally." Jenkins replied excitedly, looking over at Laura. "What do you think, Commander? There has to be something else going on, right?"

"Whatever is going on is need-to-know only, Corporal Jenkins. A soldier doesn't go looking for a fight." She retorted.

"That's unfair. You got to prove yourself on Akuze and…" Jenkins started before he realized what he had said and stopped mid-sentence, eyes focusing on her scarring.

Dr. Chakwas gave him a concerned look, Jenkins swallowing hard and steeling himself for a possible punch in the throat. At one time, Laura had been unstable and violent but all she did was take a deep breath and let it out slowly before she responded.

"Believe me Corporal, battle isn't what you see in the movies and recruitment ads. Now, I've got a meeting with the Captain. Return to your posts." She said before heading into the CIC room.

To her surprise, it was not Captain Anderson waiting for her but Nihilus. He was looking at the display, covered in information and images about Eden Prime. Though he didn't make any sort of greeting, the turian's mandibles twitched slightly in acknowledgment of her arrival.

"Where's Captain Anderson?" She asked, noticing he wasn't in the room.

"He will be along shortly. I wanted a moment to speak with you in private, Commander. I've heard Eden Prime is quite beautiful… that it's become somewhat of a symbol to your people." He started, his metallic voice a bit unsettling.

"I wouldn't know sir. My assignments don't take me out to established colonies, usually." She replies, getting a bit uncomfortable.

"I see. Well, Eden Prime has been an example of the Alliance being able to establish and protect its colonies, even out in the Traverse but I wonder if it's truly safe." He pondered, turning to face her.

Their eyes locked but Shepard did not like his tone of voice or the way he was looking at her. It felt like the turian was sizing her up for some reason. Was there something about Eden Prime that he knew that would lead to his suggestion of it being in danger? Before she got the chance to confront and ask him, Captain Anderson walked in.

"I think now is the time to talk about what this mission is really about." He said, walking over to the CIC panel and brought up several windows of information, including images of some sort of excavation site.

"This is far from a simple shake-down run Commander. A few months ago, Eden Prime discovered a set of Prothean ruins, along with a Beacon." Captain Anderson said, pointing out the image of the artifact of the Beacon.

"A Beacon?" Shepard asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"It's a data cache, essentially. It could contain new technology, Prothean history, blueprints for weapons… the last time humanity made a discovery like this, it jumped us forward by two-hundred years." Anderson replied.

"Ok… but what's the Council's interest in this? Why send their top SPECTRE if we're just here to pick it up?" Laura asked, having already deduced what the real mission was.

"We are to pick up the beacon, covertly, and take it back to the Citadel where it can be properly studied. Eden Prime does not have the facilities to handle this. Also, Nihilus is here to scout you for the SPECTREs." Anderson answered, a small smile tugging on his face.

For a moment, Shepard didn't even hear the SPECTRE candidacy part but once it sunk in, she did a double-take. Her? In the SPECTREs? With her blemished service record? She had only been back on duty for the past year.

"Pardon me sir but whose hair-brained idea was it to nominate me for the SPECTREs? I'm certain there are several other more… qualified candidates to…" She retorted but was interrupted by Nihilus finally speaking up.

"I put your name forward Commander. Despite your… history, I believe you will fit in well among the ranks of the SPECTREs." He replied.

"You put my name forward? Why would a turian want a human in the SPECTREs anyway? I was under the impression the Council still deemed us 'unfit' to join the Council."

Between Nihilus and Captain Anderson, Shepard learned that she was basically being used as a political maneuver to open the door for a human to be elected to the Council. Though the SPECTREs would be a great opportunity, she knew if she failed on this, the Alliance was going to come down on her hard and the Council would probably use it as reason to continue to keep the humans out of their little 'club'. Before they could go into detail about her candidacy, Joker patched through an emergency transmission coming from the colony. It seemed now that this mission was far from as simple shake-down run.

* * *

"This is just fucking fantastic. Nihilus is dead and geth have taken the entire colony." Laura growled, kicking a crate furiously.

Nihilus's corpse lay before them, a puddle of dark blue blood under his head. Whoever had killed him had shot him in the back at very close range. Though she had known Nihilus for barely an hour, she knew the turian would not have let his guard down unless it was someone he knew and trusted… like this Saren SPECTRE the dock-worker claimed to have seen shoot him. With no other choice, they had to head to the dock to secure the beacon before the geth did. Why was another SPECTRE here and why would he turn on Nihilus? Laura realized something didn't add up about this whole situation. The ship they saw earlier… just its massive size unnerved her but they had an objective to complete and she needed to salvage what she could from this mission.

They took the supply tram to the docking bay, only to meet more geth forces. Luckily, they had caught them in the middle of setting up bombs to annihilate the entire colony… wipe away all trace. Laura was quite familiar with tactics like this. Disabling the bombs were tricky but they managed to get all three disarmed despite all the fire fighting between her squad and the remaining geth forces. By the time they found the beacon, Saren was long gone. She swore silently, realizing that this mission was going to reflect badly on not just her, but Captain Anderson as well. Nihilus got killed… but at least they secured the Prothean beacon.

"The beacon is secured and all geth forces neutralized. We're ready for extraction Captain. Unfortunately… we've had two casualties. Jenkins and SPECTRE Nihilus are both dead." Laura reported over the comm-channel.

"I expect a full report when you're back aboard the Normandy, Commander." Anderson replied.

She could hear the agitation in his voice before the line cut off. There was going to be a lot of paperwork and inquiries about this from the Council. She was still bothered by the report of Saren being on the colony but since she didn't actually see him… but the man claimed he saw two turians and this was a human colony. No turian should have been out here. It was a lot to think about.

"Commander! Alenko!" Ashley shouted in warning, snapping her attention.

Laura turned and found Alenko was caught in some sort of field, the beacon glowing and emitting some sort of high-frequency noise that had escaped her notice until now. Acting quickly, she lunged forward and grabbed him tightly around the waist, throwing all her weight and strength back and throwing him free… only to get caught in the field herself. She was, helplessly, dragged towards the beacon and then suddenly lifted off her feet. There was a heavy pressure on her chest and skull and her brain felt like it was on fire as something in the beacon triggered and connected with her.

A host of images flashed through her mind, voices spoken in an unknown language, screams, heat… pain. She could feel something burrowing under her skin, crawling, piercing… and the trauma triggered the nightmares. The two melded; Thresher Maws bursting through the ground, a nightmarish amalgamation of flesh and steel. Human screams mixed with the alien ones and her scar started to burn horribly. She screamed desperately… only to wake up in the med-bay, Dr. Chakwas by her side. She found herself being held down by both Kaiden and Ashley. She couldn't hear what Dr. Chakwas saying, adrenaline still was coursing through her veins. She wasn't even aware of the prick in her arms as she was given a mild sedative but her body, slowly, relaxed and she found herself a bit calmer.

"W-what… the beacon?! What happened?" Laura asked in alarm, trying to sit up but her head pulsing painfully in response.

"I… I'm sorry Commander. I must have tripped a security field or something. The… beacon exploded shortly after you were caught in the field. Williams and I carried you aboard the Normandy when it arrived." Alenko reported.

"Dammit Alenko. Your carelessness scrapped the entire mission!" She snapped at him angrily, touching her temple gingerly.

"Now, don't be so hard on him Shepard..." Chakwas started to chide but she stopped as soon as Captain Anderson entered the med-bay, wordlessly dismissing Chakwas, Ashley, and Kaiden. Once they were alone, Shepard tried to sit up again. Her head still ached but the pulsing sensation was, gradually, subsiding. She saluted him and looked him square in the eyes.

"What happened down there Shepard?" Anderson asked, a hint of worry in his deep voice.

"Geth is what happened… and Alenko's fuck up got the beacon destroyed but… I don't know, but when I got trapped in that field I saw… something. Images, hazy chaotic… a war I think?" Laura replied, winching as thinking about it made her head hurt more.

"The beacon must have imprinted information onto your memories. This is something we must relay to the Council…"

"You can't be serious Anderson. What, are we gonna tell them, that I had nightmares? A hallucination? I'm already on thin ice here because of those exact things… let's not give them any more dirt to bury us under." She grumbled, pushing herself off the table.

Anderson grimaced but knew what she had meant. Akuze had given he sever PTSD and the memories of the event were still as vivid as they had been when she woke up a hospital several systems over. Since she was a candidate for the SPECTREs, the Council would be scrutinizing every detail of her life and decisions until they came to a decision.

"What about the sighting of Saren?" Anderson asked.

"That witness is shaky, at best. I never saw the second turian so there's no way to confirm his claims that it was Saren that killed Nihlus. The whole mission was a failure and that's how the Council is going to see it." Shepard sighed, knowing they were in deep shit.

They talked for a bit longer before Captain Anderson was called to the CIC room to deal with a call, likely with Alliance Command… leaving Shepard to her own devices. She left the med-bay, still feeling a little ill but decided to check on their new passenger, Ashley. Ashley was in the mess-hall with Alenko, the two idly chatting. When Laura walked into the room, booth immediately stood and saluted her. She shook her head a little and focused her emerald eyes on Ashley.

"Ashley… we never had much chance to properly introduce each other on Eden Prime. I am Commander Laura Shepard. I am sorry about your squad on Eden Prime." She said in a stoic voice.

"I've heard your name before, Commander. Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, of the 2nd Frontier Division… well, was anyway. Thank you for your help on Eden Prime, else the whole colony would have been lost to those geth." She replied, holding her hand out.

They shook, then chatted for a bit about the attack and other topics before Joker made the announcement that they'd be docking on the Citadel soon. Laura was dreading what was to come, since the Council would want a full report… and they were not going to like what Shepard had to say.


	2. Mantle of the SPECTREs

This and the last chapter are, mostly, exposition to lay the ground work for the story. I assume most would be familiar with the general story line and locations of Mass Effect, events in the story that aren't really 'affected' by this Shepard's back-story will be 'summarized' to keep the story moving forward.

* * *

Anderson had mentioned Udina had already petitioned a meeting with the Council. However, that meeting went exactly as she expected it to. Without solid evidence, Udina's accusations against Saren were completely unfounded. The way that turian talked annoyed Shepard but this was an adversary she suspected one did not cross lightly. His face, though the hologram distorted his image a little, had no markings like Nihlus did and his armor was completely different. The way he stared at her as he tried to say a few remarks about her SPECTRE candidacy made her uncomfortable but she didn't dare back down.

Once the meeting was over, she was heading back to Udina's office with Kaiden and Ashley in tow when they spotted two turians talking, both wearing armor and markings identifying them as part of C-SEC. The conversation caught her attention when she heard the blue-marked turian mention Saren by name.

"I just need a little more time!" The turian with blue markings argued in exasperation.

"The case is closed Vakarian." The second turian said stiffly before turning and leaving.

Once the second turian was gone, Shepard decided to approach this Vakarian, see what he knew. This wasn't the first time she's interacted with a turian, even before Nihlus she had dealt with them, though in a much less savory manner.

"Hey, Vakarian, right? You work with C-SEC?" Shepard asked, getting his attention.

"You must be Commander Shepard. I… was assigned to investigate Udina's claims about Saren's involvement in that attack but…" He replied, only to get cut off by Ashley.

"You dropped the ball." The human woman sneered, earning a disapproving glance from Shepard.

"Actually, no. I was close to getting my hands on something, to help you with our case but C-SEC command has shut down my investigation. I just needed a few more hours." Garrus argued, a bit taken aback by Ashley's accusation.

The conversation remained short and Garrus went on his way, mandibles twitching and zeal in his hardened blues eyes. If circumstances were different, she felt that she could get along with that turian. Shrugging off the feeling, she headed back to Udina's office… only to have him rip into her for a few minutes before Anderson calmed him down. She relayed the information she had learned from Garrus; that there was evidence somewhere on the Citadel that could shed light on the Saren's schemes and involvement with the attack Eden Prime. Udina demanded she find the information now before it got lost. Laura did not like being ordered around by a politician, especially a tight-ass like Udina but she kept her mouth shut and excused herself, companions in tow.

Before leaving the office, Anderson had given her a couple of ideas to check; one being with a former C-SEC officer named Harkin and to check-up on Garrus. She decided Garrus would be a better lead and went to the C-SEC offices to figure out where he was. Unfortunately, he wasn't at the office but one of the other officers mentioned he had gone to the local clinic to check on an informant. Laura hoped he was still there.

Luckily, Garrus was but the situation they walked in on led to a fire-fight, albeit, a short one. Once things calmed down, she asked Garrus why he was here. The doctor had patched up a quarian a few hours ago who, presumably, had some evidence against Saren and was looking to make a deal with the Shadow Broker. Shepard had heard the name 'Shadow Broker' before and it left a sour taste in the back of her throat. However, it seemed the trail would go cold there. She sent Ashley to go report their progress to Udina and Captain Anderson while she, Kaiden, and Garrus tried to figure out their next move. They were walking past the Consort's building when the attendant at the front called her by name.

"Laura Shepard?" The soft asari voice called, making her pause mid-stride.

"Huh? How do you know my name?" She asked, not recognizing the asari.

"Oh, The Consort is actually requesting your presence, if you have a moment." The asari replied, bowing to her a little.

"The Consort? Looking for you, Shepard? You must be pretty popular." Garrus commented, a bit surprised.

Laura chose not to respond, since it wasn't anyone's business why the famous Consort was calling her to her office, even though Shepard did not have an appointment. They were led inside, passing by tables where other clients were sitting and being tended to. The asari stopped at the door and left them there. It opened a moment later, a silent invitation to enter.

She was already quite familiar with this place but it was something she kept to herself. Sha'ira and she were old friends… from a time when Shepard had hit rock bottom a few years ago. For some reason, the asari had a strange interest in her but Laura had learned to stop questioning it a long time ago. As she had expected, the asari was sitting at her desk, dressed in a tight-fighting dress made of a shiny, sleek material. Her blue lips curled in a knowing smile as she stood up and walked around to greet them.

"Laura. It's so good of you to drop by, my friend." Sha'ira greeted warmly, hugging the human,

"Well, you were apparently expecting me… but it's good to see you Sha'ira. I hope you didn't push off a client just to catch up." Laura replied, giving her a firm hug in reply before stepping back.

"Wait, you know her Commander?" Kaiden asked, a bit stunned and beating Garrus to the punch as he had opened his mouth to ask a similar question.

"Laura and I are well acquainted with each other… and no, I didn't have any clients to see right now. I heard about what happened with Eden Prime and Saren… an unsavory character I've had the displeasure of dealing with a few times in the past." Sha'ira replied, her voice taking on a note of distaste at saying the SPECTRE's name.

"Is that why you called me here? You know I can't give you Alliance Intel Sha'ira… not that you really need me to do that for you, do you?" Shepard replied, smirking a little.

"Of course not but I was merely curious. You haven't been on the Citadel much since your reinstatement. I was merely curious if you were… well." Sha'ira replied, though it was a loaded sentence… loaded with a question that Shepard did not want to answer directly… not in front of others anyway.

"Well, but some days are harder than others. So, was there something specific you wanted Sha'ira because… I really must get back to business." Laura said a bit tensely.

"Ah of course. If you… happen to be by Chora's Den for any reason, I have a delicate matter I could use your help with." She replied, giving her 'escorts' an intrigued glance.

"Matters with you are always delicate Sha'ira." Laura teased, lips curling in a smile.

The asari chuckled before going on to explain what she needed. It seemed a former client of hers had put her in an awkward position, spreading rumors and information that he shouldn't. Laura didn't care much for Sha'ira's reputation in her line of work but she owed the asari much and agreed, if she was around there, would see what she could do. For now, however, they needed to find that Shadow Broker contact and find that quarin before something happened and that evidence was lost forever. Shepard doubted Saren wasn't unaware of what was floating around on the Citadel and would, probably, try to get his claws on it before C-SEC or the Alliance could.

Their investigation led them to Chroa's Den, a bar on the Citadel of rather ill-repute. Places like these severed as painful reminders of spending too much of her time here, bent over a bottle. Dealing with Harkin also an unpleasant reminder of the people she used to surround herself with but she kept a cool head and got what she wanted; a volus on the Presidium. She ignored his offer for a drink and suggestive comments and turned her attention Sha'ira's favor. The turian in question was sitting at a booth, by himself, rambling to himself. An old, tired soldier, she kind of felt sorry for Septimus but after some back and forth… and a little bit of yelling, she finally set him straight.

They found the volus in his small office, flanked by a couple rows of terminals. He didn't seem surprised to see Shepard and was more than willing to help. It seemed the quarian was trying to get in contact with the Shadow Broker, but had been misled by a former information broker named Fist… who was now working for Saren. The Shadow Broker had hired a bounty hunter to track him down and deal with him but Garrus had said that the bounty hunter in question had been detained at C-SEC for harassment. It sounded like the bounty hunter was their best lead to get to fist and the quarian before things went south.

Laura was a bit surprised that the bounty hunter they were looking for was a krogan. He was arguing with a couple of officers when they arrived but the conversation soon broke apart and he was storming towards the elevator. Their eyes locked and the krogan paused. She found herself staring at the deep scores on face and crest and she got the feeling he was staring at the scarring on her face.

"What are you staring at?" He growled at her.

"Your face, obviously. Are you the bounty hunter going after Fist?" She replied, ignoring the surprised intake of breath from Garrus.

"Ha… a human with some balls, and a female no less. Fist is my score so don't think you can muscle in on my bounty." He warned, wide mouth curling in a hideous smirk.

"I don't have any interest in Fist. I'm looking for someone he's after."

After some… negotiations, the krogan Wrex decided to give them a hand. However, it seemed like Fist got word of Wrex's impending arrival and had his crew waiting for them. Laura knew shooting up a bar, even a dump like Chora's Den, was not going to look good for her but, in her defense… she didn't fire first. They left the bar riddled with corpses as they forced their way into Fists's office. Fist was not pleased but despite his turrets and weaponry, a well-placed shot in the shoulder had him down but breathing.

"Where's the quarian?" Laura demanded, pressing her foot down on the wound and her pistol still aimed at his head.

"I set her up for a deal in the alleyway. You'll never make it in time." He said, gritted his teeth.

Shepard let him go and headed for the back exit with Kaiden and Garrus when a shot startled them all. Wrex was standing over Fist's corpse.

"What? I had a job to do." Wrex said, shrugging his shoulders as he walked towards the exit.

"Next time, Wrex… give a little warning." Shepard grumbled as they headed for the alley.

They got there just as Saren's men were about to take the quarian hostage… not that it seemed like she hadn't come prepared. Shepard and her small team immediately provided back up and crushed Saren's men. The quarian was thankful for their help and, in return, gave them what she had; a voice recording she had extracted from a geth containing both Saren's voice and a mysterious female. They escorted the quarian back to Udina's office and presented him the evidence and a new meeting with the Council was immediately called.

After hearing the recording and Councilor Tevos identifying the second voice as Matriarch Benezia, the Council unanimously revoked Saren's SPECTRE status, cutting him off from the Council's resources completely. A small victory but neither Shepard nor Udina were satisfied. He attacked a colony and nearly destroyed it. It wouldn't be long before he targeted another. However, Saren had taken refuge in the Terminus Systems; a realm of the galaxy the Council dare not tread for any reason. They weren't very sympathetic and kept circumventing Udina's demands.

"There's only one solution here, the Council just doesn't want to acknowledge it." Laura said in a calm, raised voice, ending the bickering.

Councilor Sparatus glared at her and shook his head but the other two Councilors seemed to think differently. They called for her to step forward and receive the mantle and responsibilities of the SPECTREs. Laura didn't believe she was ready but this was the only option she had to get at Saren… plus Udina and the Alliance get what they wanted anyway. After the inauguration was finished, she turned to Udina and asked… no, requested that Garrus, Tali, and Wrex be permitted to join the Normandy after they had expressed interest in helping. At first, Udina did not approve of aliens poking around in Alliance business but he wasn't going to argue with Shepard at the moment.

However, there was the problem of not having a ship in which to pursue Saren with. It seemed the Council wasn't going to help in that regard. Before she had long to think on it though, Captain Anderson called her to the Normandy's docking bay… only to hand her command of the ship. Laura had never commanded a war vessel before and, at first, she refused but Anderson had already made it official… leaving her with no real choice. She was glad for the man's trust in her… giving her this second chance. She took the command post with grace and promised to bring Saren back in shackles… or a body bag.


	3. Damsel in Distress

Had a bit of 'writing fever' so I knocked out a couple more chapters. A couple things about Liara's recruitment to the team have been modified

* * *

"Oh, you've really done it this time Liara." The asari muttered to herself in defeat.

It had been three days since she had gotten herself trapped in this stasis field. She, honestly, hadn't expected anyone else to show up here but when that krogan arrived with geth in tow, she had to act fast. Luckily, she got the curtain barriers active but she also got herself caught in a secondary field that left her completely helpless… though that wasn't the worst of it. Three days without food, water, and soiling herself was taking its toll on her and Liara was certain she was going to die here.

She was snapped to alertness after half-dozing for a few hours. Someone was coming across the scaffolding and her first thought fell to the krogan and his geth that had camped out in the ruins, waiting for her to expire or the ruin's reserve power to run out… which the latter didn't seem likely. However, it wasn't the geth but a small team consisting of three humans, a turian, a scarred krogan, and a quarian. She stared at them in disbelief, wondering if she was starting to hallucinate but it was the leader that garnered the focus of her attention. She had seen humans before but none had struck her as vivid as the woman staring at her. She had a head of red hair and emerald eyes hardened by battle but filled with an engulfing sadness behind them. The left side of her face was scarred pretty badly. She recognized the symbol on her chest plate and that of the other two humans to be that of the System Alliance but why would they be here… and with a few aliens in tow as well?

"Dr. Liara T'Soni?" Laura asked, staring at the asari behind the barrier.

"Y-yes. I didn't think anyone would find me out here. Please, you have to help get me out. I've been trapped in this security field the last few days." Liara replied desperately, hope fluttering in her chest… at least she thought it was hope.

"We'll get you out of here Dr. T'Soni. Is there any other way into this structure?" Shepard asked after Tali gave her the 'no-go' on hacking through the ruin's systems.

"I… I don't know. This structure goes pretty deep. I… there might be." She stammered, disoriented.

"Alright just… sit tight. We'll find a way in." Shepard said, frowning a bit.

"O-ok. Oh! Wait! There's a krogan with geth here so… um… be careful." Liara called after them but they were already moving down to the lower levels.

The wait was agonizing. The field seemed to be neutralizing her own mass effect fields so she wasn't even able to use her biotics. Liara simply hung there, suspending a few inches above the floor. She was startled by the sound of fire-fighting from the bottom of the ruins, likely that team encountering more geth. Once the fire-fight calmed down, she waited with bated breath to see if they would come back but after a while… nothing. As the minutes dragged on, Liara began to wonder if the fight had gone badly for her would-be rescuers.

However, her questions and fears were answered when the building gave a giant shake and she could feel the entire site crack and shift. After a few minutes, the shocks quieted down and she heard the elevator behind her activate. She craned her neck to get a look behind her, wondering if it was the geth or the other team coming up. Luckily, it was the latter, with the red-headed human at the front. Liara drew the conclusion that she must be the team's leader. She ordered the quarian to get the security field down, but Liara knew what she had done to trigger it and instructed the quarian on turning it off without disrupting the barrier curtains. Once free, she fell to her feet and nearly collapsed from the exhaustion of not eating or drinking for several days but Laura caught her, steadying the asari.

"Are you alright Dr. T'Soni?" She asked, noticing the asari looked weak.

"I've been better but I'll be ok. Thank you for your help but… why are you on Therum?" Liara replied, trying to hide a faint blush.

"Well, seems we're here to rescue you Dr. T'Soni but I am actually a Councilor SPECTRE, here to find you with questions about your mother, Matriarch Benezia." Laura replied.

A human SPECTRE? When did that happen? She had been really out of touch with the rest of the galaxy in the past few years due to her work. Hearing her mother's name, on the other hand, brought up a lot of unpleasant thoughts but she hadn't spoken with her in a long time.

"Um, I'm not sure what I could tell you, because…" Liara started but didn't get to finish as the building let out a loud groan and started to shake.

It seemed that the use of the mining laser triggered a seismic event in the ruins and it was collapsing. Laura could smell sulfur and remembered Joker had said this was a dormant volcano… emphasis on 'was'. There wasn't time to discuss things further and they got back on the platform to take it to the top of the ruins and get out of here before they got trapped inside. However, the impending eruption was interfering with the power grid, causing the barrier curtains to flicker on and off. At the top of the elevator, the krogan and what remained of his geth were waiting for them, guns all trained on them.

"Surrender, or don't. I don't really care. I didn't think the Alliance would show up on this god-forsaken rock for the asari… though Saren said someone might come after her." The krogan battlemaster drawled.

"We've got a volcano under us. I'd be more than happy to kick your ass on more stable ground… just so you and your friends have a fair standing." Laura retorted as the structure started to rattle and buckle.

"This is the perfect atmosphere for a life and death struggle. Saren doesn't care if I bring you back alive or just your heads. No one is leaving." He growled, directing his geth to attack.

Kaiden and Wrex threw up biotic barriers as Laura grabbed the asari and shoved her behind one of the trusses of the elevator, telling her to stay put. Her kinetic barrier shattered, alarm on her omni-tool blaring in warning. A geth on the far side was armed with a sniper rifle, though not a very good one. She called for cover fire from Ashley and Garrus, moving into adequate cover to deal with the geth. The elevator was shaking worse and bits of metal and stone were falling down around them.

A massive piece broke from the supports above them and fell, forcing Liara to dive out of her cover and out into the open… right near Saren's goon. The krogan, grinning in triumph, grabbed her by the scruff of her neck.

"You're mine asari!" He growled, tightening his grip, about to snap her neck.

"Dr. T'Soni!" Laura called, lunging right at the krogan.

She slammed her forehead with all her might into the krogan's crest, nearly knocking herself unconscious as she hit the hard, bony structure. She could feel blood pouring from the cut across her face but ignored it as she wrestled with the krogan, having lost his grip on the asari. The krogan was much stronger than she was and she felt a couple ribs crack when he kneed her in the chest plate, forcing her to fall on all four, shot-gun pointed at her head.

A sudden biotic blast distracted the krogan, forcing him to deflect it and giving Shepard the opportunity she needed. She got up, still dazed, and jerked the gun out of the krogan's hand, shoving the barrel right into his mouth and blowing his brains out the back of his head. The krogan's heavy body slumped and nearly fell on her but Wrex stepped in and threw it off her. The whole place was collapsing and they had only a few more minutes before the volcano itself erupted. The air was full of sulfur as they ran up the buckling scaffolding, Liara barely keeping pace. Once they made it outside, the Normandy was sitting there, waiting for them. Once aboard, Joker booked it off Therum before the volcano took the ship while Shepard escorted Liara to the med-bay.

"Jesus Commander, what happened to your face?" Chakwas exclaimed in surprised, seeing Laura's face and chest plate covered in blood and a wide split running from above her right brow and running diagonally over the bridge of her nose down to her left cheek-bone.

"Krogan. Chakwas, T'Soni. T'Soni, Chakwas… owww… fuck." Laura replied, wincing painfully as she sat down on one of the benches.

Liara watched as the doctor tended to the Commander's wounds, helping her out of the top piece of her armor and the suit underneath to tend to the bruises where her ribs were broken. The asari was stunned to see the scarring on her face extended down her throat and chest as well as her left arm. Whatever had happened looked like it had been extremely traumatic. Once Chakwas had her moderately patched up and generous amounts of medi-gel applied, Laura practically 'ordered' her to tend to the asari while she hobbled back to her quarters.

Laura wasn't used to having her own room and still thought of it as Captain Anderson's quarters. Her face and chest hurt, which wasn't helping the headache she felt creeping up on her. Gingerly, she peeled out of the rest of her armor and put on her uniform, being careful with her bruised ribs. Once dressed, she went to her desk, pill bottle already sitting out. She took the correct dosage and just flopped down on the bed. It took a few minutes for the drug to take affect but she felt the headache subsiding a little and her heart-rate calm, avoiding the anxiety attack that was waiting to happen. Keeping her cool through all that was extremely difficult.

"Commander, sorry to interrupt but the Council is on the line for you in the CIC room." Joker announced, interrupting her relaxation.

"Fuck… alright, I'll be there in a, urgh… minute." She replied with an annoyed, heavy sigh.

She got up and, slowly, made her way to the CIC room. Once she was ready, Joker patched in the call and the images of the three Councilors showed up and she knew they could see her. The asari took a look at her and frowned a little.

"What happened Shepard?" She asked.

"Yes… what indeed. You destroyed a valuable Prothean ruin." The turian Councilor grumbled in annoyance.

"Well, Dr. T'Soni was the priority, not the ruin and there's not much I can do against a volcano, Councilor. Saren sent a krogan with a squad of geth to kill Dr. T'Soni… so destruction tends to be unavoidable when a krogan is involved but would you believe me if I expressed my sincerest apologies?" She retorted.

She caught the asari councilor smirking slightly as the turian growled, but the salarian interfered to keep them on track.

"How is Dr. T'Soni, Commander?" He asked calmly.

"A little worse for wear but alive. Dr. Chakwas is tending to her, so she is in good hands. However, when I managed to question her about Matriarch Benezia she did not seem aware of her mother's recent activities… hell, she didn't even believe I was a SPECTRE. I don't think she keeps up on current events much." Laura reported, purposely avoiding the turian.

"I see… still, we would like you to bring her back to the Citadel to be interrogated and investigated by C-SEC… just to be certain. It also seems that might be safest until we determine where her loyalties lie. Benezia may not be aware Saren sent assassins after her daughter." Teevos said with a note of finality.

"You think Saren and Benezia might be having a falling out?" Laura asked, wondering if Teevos found out something.

"It is just an assumption… Benezia could also want her own daughter dead but for what purpose will elude us until Dr. T'Soni is properly questioned. We will have officers waiting to escort her after your arrival."

"Don't trust me to do my own interrogation is what I'm getting from this conversation but I suppose I have no choice but to comply. Is there anything else or can I go finish nursing my cracked ribs?" Laura grumbled sarcastically.

"Watch your tone Commander. Your SPECTRE status can easily be revoked… among other things." The Sparatus threatened.

"Go ahead but keep in mind I'm the only one cleaning up your mess here." Laura said before the communication line went quiet. "I hate politicians."

* * *

Laura walked into the med bay and didn't see Liara anywhere. Dr. Chakwas was sitting at her desk, working on her terminal. She noticed the Commander's arrival and got up.

"How's your ribs… and your face? I'm surprised you haven't ripped those stitches out. What was that call about or is it need to know?" Chakwas ask, immediately looking at the cut on her face.

"Council. They want me to turn Liara over to C-SEC for interrogation about her mother. I don't really like it and… I mean, do you think she's part of Saren's plans? He sent geth to kill her." Laura asked, wincing as she felt a throbbing in her head again.

"Liara is a sweetheart… and very passionate about her work. I let her set up in the storage room, since she didn't seem that comfortable sharing space with a lot of strange people." Chakwas replied, pointing at the door at the back at the med-bay.

"You avoided my questions Chakwas." Laura said in annoyance.

"You of all people should know looks are deceiving, Commander… especially in your line of work. Still, I think she's of a scientific mind, not a malicious one. You should go talk to her yourself, she might be your type Commander." Chakwas suggested in a coy tone.

"Is no one ever going to let me live that down? Besides… what's wrong with asari?" Shepard huffed, blushing a little.

Chakwas chuckled and went back to her terminal, leaving Laura to her own devices. With a sigh and an eye-roll, she decided to go check on the asari… and give her the bad news about what was being done with her situation. She didn't want to treat her like a prisoner but she wasn't exactly certain about their new passenger. Liara jumped when she heard the door open and hastily got to her feet, only to be surprised to see it was the Commander. She looked pretty beat up after that fight with the krogan and knew that the injuries were for defending her.

"C-Commander! I… are, you… um…" She stammered, caught off-guard.

"It's ok, you can just call me Shepard… or Laura. Only my crew calls me Commander. Are you, um… settling in well, Liara?" She asked.

"Ah, ok. Shepard… I'm doing well, thank you. I feel much better with some food and clean clothes. I was surprised Dr. Chakwas knew so much about asari physiology." Liara replied, relaxing a little.

"That's good. Dr. T'Soni, I… have some unfortunate news. I've received orders from the Council to bring you to the Citadel to be questioned by C-SEC about your mother, Matriarch Benezia." Laura told her a bit grimly.

Liara felt her heart sink a little but she found it was an understandable situation. Whatever her mother has done, it had to have been something serious… likely involving why those geth had come after her at her own dig-site. Still… the thought of going through an interrogation was daunting. Liara knew she had nothing to do with what was going on with her mother but would C-SEC believe her? The two chatted for a little bit, Laura seemingly interested in Liara's work. She wasn't much for science but ever since encountering that beacon and then being in the ruins, something was constantly nagging Shepard in the back of her mind. Ever since Eden Prime, Shepard thought Saren had attacked it out of malicious intent but… what if the colony itself wasn't his goal but the Prothean beacon that had been discovered? Of course, that meant this was all tied to whatever that vision she had was but what about it did Saren need?

"So, am I a prisoner?" Liara asked meekly.

"No. You haven't done anything to me or my crew to warrant that kind of treatment. You are a guest on the Normandy and will be treated that way, Dr. T'Soni. Why were you at that dig site alone?" Laura asked, deciding to change the topic to ease the asari's mind.

"Oh, I… prefer working alone. This is the first time anyone's attempted to attack me though… not that there's any value in my research." Liara replied.

"What, exactly, are you researching?"

"The Protheans. I've, well, been fascinated with them for most of my life. They were an amazing people who just suddenly vanished. So little of them remains… and I've been trying to answer that question but, hardly anyone takes me seriously." The asari replied, her eyes lighting up.

Protheans… first the beacon and now a scientist. This all could still be a coincidence but Laura knew better than that. There had to be something connected with the Protheans on this matter but she'd have to wait until after the investigation before jumping to her own conclusions. As they talked more about her work, she became more and more convinced that Liara was harmless and that C-SEC's investigation would turn up nothing. Their conversation, however, was cut short as Laura felt her medication finally starting to kick in, making her feel a bit drowsy.

"It was a pleasure talking to you Liara but I need to rest before Chakwas rips me a new one. When we arrive on the Citadel, I'll escort you to C-SEC headquarters. I don't think they'll find anything that connects you to Saren though." She said, trying to sound reassuring.

"T-thank you Comm… Shepard. I appreciate the words. I hope you feel better." Liara replied.

"Ha, believe me… this isn't the worse I've had happen to me." She retorted, giving a half-laugh before leaving.


	4. Twisted Visions

Again, Liara's recruitment to the Normandy squad was modified because I felt it was a little odd how it went down... and I like this way better for this story. Again...still kinda skimming through the first part of the game but things will be more detailed when it comes to Feros and some of the involved side events from the game.

* * *

Sitting through the interrogation was one of the most uncomfortable experiences she had but Shepard had been right, C-SEC had nothing connecting her to her mother's activities. Still, Liara was stunned to find her mom had betrayed her own morals and joined Saren. Her mother had never been violent but something must have given her cause to join the turian's side and that worried her. Her relationship with the Matriarch was rocky at best but… it was still her mother.

As she was escorted back to the main center of the C-SEC headquarters, she saw Shepard was waiting there with Garrus and Kaiden… which, once more, caught her completely off-guard. Since there was no one else here she knew, she approached them meekly. Surprisingly, Laura greeted her with a warm smile.

"Dr. T'Soni, how'd it go?"

"Well I guess. They decided I wasn't of any concern or danger so they let me go." Liara replied, trying to look happy about the matter.

"That's good. What are going to do now?" Laura asked, letting Garrus and Kaiden know they could go enjoy their shore leave.

"I… don't know actually. Even if my mother didn't know Saren sent assassins, I'd be in great danger… plus I lost my dig-site so I guess I'll stay on the Citdael until both my mother and Saren have been apprehended. I have data to sort through anyway." She sighed heavily, a bit dismayed by her predicament.

"Oh… that sucks. Well, are you free for a consultation at least? Maybe over lunch?" Laura offered.

"A consultation? On what?"

"A theory… or a crazy idea, I'm not quite sure yet. Come on, I know a good place on the north side of the Presidium."

* * *

"You… you found a working Prothean Beacon?!" Liara blurted out.

Laura had taken them to a fusion restaurant that served both asari and human dishes. Liara was surprised by Laura's knowledge of asari… even of the language as she ordered in her people's native tongue. As they were waiting for their meals, Laura had told her about the mission that started this whole mess; a beacon on a human colony… a working beacon. Liara was disappointed she had not heard of such a find but just hearing about it was just enough… though hearing of its destruction was a bit upsetting.

"A shame it was destroyed. I wonder what was stored in it." Liara sighed dreamily.

"Well, that's actually what I wanted your help with. I think Saren was after the beacon, not the colony. Has your research ever come across something called the 'Reapers'? " Laura asked.

"No… the term isn't familiar but I've been collecting every scrap of Prothean history I can get my hands on and not all of it has been investigated thoroughly, why?"

Shepard frowned a little, wondering if she should even go through this. She was just grasping at a couple of loose connections to figure out what Saren was after. The word 'Reaper' had been bugging her and it kept bringing up the twisted vision she had… but it was becoming harder to discern the vision from her own nightmares.

"I dunno… I think I might have interfaced with that beacon before it blew. Burned something into my head but I can't make heads or tails of it but, ever since I heard the word 'Reaper'… it's been giving me a bad feeling that I'm not seeing the big picture here… and it's about the only lead I have to find Saren right now." Laura replied.

They continued talking when their food arrived, mostly about Liara's research and Shepard's suspicions. The more she listened to Liara talk, the more convinced she was becoming that she was on the right track about the Protheans. If the Reapers were a weapon, Saren would definitely be after it and they needed to find it before Saren did… not that she had any idea what she'd be looking for. Once they were done eating, they both got up and Liara figured this was where they were going to part ways.

"Thank you for the meal Shepard. This has been a… interesting experience but I suppose this is where we part ways." Liara said a bit sadly, having grown fascinated with the human… in a purely scientific way of course.

"I suppose but if my suspicions are right, I could use someone like you on my team. If this Reaper is some kind of Prothean device, well… I'm a soldier. I don't have the brains for this kind of stuff. Plus, you're the premiere expert on the Protheans so..." Laura replied, faint blush making the cut on her face hurt.

"M-me? I well… it would be a great opportunity. And, honestly, I thought of asking to join you because I… want to confront my mother. What she's doing makes no sense to me and even though we aren't close, I want to know why… from her."

Liara's voice shook as she spoke but when she felt Shepard's hand on her shoulder, she felt a bit reassured. Despite her rough exterior, the red-head had a soft heart underneath all that armor. Laura told her she'd take care of the arrangements and put any equipment requests she needed in with the quartermaster in the Normandy's storage bay. Liara was feeling giddy, like she usually did when going out on a new dig but this wasn't another one of her trips… this was going into unimaginable danger. She had had military training, as all asari are required but she hadn't held a gun since then nor been in any violent combat situations until Therum. However, the way Shepard had looked at her inspired enough confidence to try.

* * *

"Alright, so some of you know what the goal of our mission is but not why…. And this just isn't because Saren targeted a human colony. He was after that beacon for a reason and I think it has something to do with these Reapers."

Shepard had gathered her crew into the CIC room for a debriefing and to discuss their next course of action. They had two new leads; an Exo-Geni research colony on Feros, named Zhu's Hope, had reported a geth invasion before all communication had been lost. Feros had a massive amount of Prothean ruins on it and Saren had sent troops there for a reason. There was also reports of Benezia on Noveria but Shepard wanted to put that off as long as possible. Matriarchs alone were powerful biotics but Benezia also had loyal commandos at her beck and call. Her team had to be properly prepared before taking her on.

"The Reapers? Aren't they just some myth? Plus, why's the asari aboard?" Ashley spoke up, interrupting.

"Liara T'Soni will be joining the crew. I believe her knowledge of the Protheans will help us figure out what Saren is after and stop him before he succeeds." Laura replied, scowling at the gunnery chief a bit.

Ashley backed down but still shot Liara uncomfortable glares whenever their eyes happened to meet across the room. They discussed the plans for the investigation on Feros and counter-measures to be taken against the geth forces. A second colony attack was not a coincidence, Laura was even more convinced that Saren was looking for something Prothean related but was steps ahead of them… and an adversary with such an advantage was one to not be taken lightly.

"Because this a specialized team, we'll have daily exercises and drills so everyone's on the same page. No more fuck ups and no more of my crew coming home in body bags. Also, I believe we can all learn something from each other." Laura continued on, starting to wrap up the meeting.

"So, what led you to the Protheans Commander? I mean, Saren could just be attacking colonies at random." Kaiden chimed in.

"The beacon is at the core of this. There was something on it that Saren got and now he's targeting another colony covered in Prothean ruins… plus the attempted assassination of Dr. T'Soni makes me suspect that he's after something Prothean related. It's a hunch but I think whatever this Reaper is… Saren intends to use it as a weapon." She replied solemnly.

"Didn't you interface with the beacon Shepard? What was Saren after?" Tali asked, all eyes focusing on Laura.

"Honestly… I have no fucking clue. I get bits and pieces of what looks like a war but that's it. I can't make out specific details." She replied, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Thanks to modern medicine, the cut was already scarred over and her ribs mended but the ache was still there, but that was more due to her other pre-existing conditions. She was already feeling a bit faint, her medication no longer sustaining its strength and the beacon was causing a cascading reaction that was bringing back the flashbacks and night terrors in force. Laura knew she had to keep it from the crew but it was getting harder and harder not to have an 'episode'.

"Perhaps I could, um… shed some light on the beacon's information." Liara chimed in meekly, feeling everyone's stares immediately focus on her.

"You mean a mind meld?" Laura asked, realizing Liara's intention.

Again, Liara was caught off guard by how much Laura knew of asari. Most humans didn't know much about her people beyond their physical traits and general behaviors. The look on Laura's face wasn't all that reassuring. She hadn't had anyone poking around in her head for years and there was danger within her mind… something she wasn't keen on exposing an inexperienced maiden like Liara to. Still, her suggestion had merit and it was their best chance at understanding what Saren was after.

"Alright, we'll give it a shot… Saren must have found something we're missing." She decided with a nod.

Realizing the implications of her suggestion, Liara felt her nerves getting the best of her as she got to her feet and approached the Commander. She had melded before but it was always with another asari and purely instructional so Liara knew what to do. Being so close to her, the human was still intimidating. She had such a dominant presence around her and couple that with the scarring on her face… the asari's knees were starting to shake.

"Please, be careful Liara. Just… focus on the beacon's message and nothing else. It's not safe in there other-wise." Shepard said in a low voice that only Liara could hear as she took the asari's hand.

Feeling the warmth of skin on skin contact was reassuring and helped Liara focus. She took Shepard's warning to heart but it also piqued her curiosity. Still, she was just after one thing… that beacon's message. After they synced their breathing, Liara mumbled a 'Embrace Eternity' and her eyes went black. Shepard jumped a little as she felt their consciousness connect and meld together, throwing up the walls to block off the memories and terrors from Liara's intrusion.

This meld was completely different from anything she had experienced. She figured Shepard must be quite experienced with having an asari connect with her… which the implications made her blush and lose her focus for a moment. It was like standing in an empty room with a wall of doors, most without handles. She could feel Shepard's consciousness around her but memories, thoughts… all blocked off. There was only one door she could open and that was to the beacon vision. She idly wondered what was behind the others but there would be no way to access them without harming the human. 'Opening' the door to the vision assaulted her immediately with rapid, confusing images and sounds. She saw brief glances of buildings, things that looked like geth attacking people… and the sky lined with giant machines of some sort. What she managed to see… the city was definitely Prothean though the sounds were all screams and mechanical noises that made her eardrums vibrate painfully.

And then something changed… one of the machines suddenly became clear but it didn't resemble what it had been. It was a Thresher Maw, a hideous twisted amalgamation of flesh and metal, screeching horribly as it thrashed around, slamming into the buildings and crushing people underneath it. It towered over her and she could feel herself paralyzed in fear but realized these were not her own emotions… these were Shepard's. Then it dawned on her that the Prothean vision had triggered a traumatic memory, one she was now reliving. The monstrous Thresher Maw screeched and suddenly she felt the left side of her body was burning, sprayed with acid as it ate through her armor and flesh, the pain excruciating….

"Liara! Liara!" Dr. Chakwas called, voice pulling asari back to the realm of reality.

Liara's struggling slowed as she realized she was in the med-bay of the Normandy. Dr. Chakwas was looking over her along with the rest of the team. She remembered being in the CIC room, with everyone and…

"Shepard! What happened… augh!" She exclaimed, trying to sit up only to have a splitting head-ache stop her halfway.

"Calm down Liara, everyone's fine. The Commander is alright." Chakwas replied in a reassuring tone.

"No thanks to you asari." Ashley growled in distaste.

She noticed Ashley was looking at her in disapproval but Kaiden wasn't here. She assumed he was tending to Shepard but the human wasn't in the med-bay. Dr. Chakwas said Kaiden was tending to her in her quarters and once she was certain the worst was over, she chased everyone out of the md-bay. Once they were alone, Dr. Chakwas's expression turned very serious.

"You saw it, didn't you? You were reacting the same way when Laura has her flashbacks and night terrors." She asked, sitting down and speaking in a calm voice.

"I… I'm not sure what I saw. I saw the beacon vision and then it just… I think a memory became tangled with it." Liara said

"Akuze. It was a mission Laura was on early in her Alliance career. It went badly and she was the only survivor, barely."

"Involving Thresher Maws? Goddess… I should have never suggested the mind meld. I…"

"Calm down Liara, it's not your fault. Shepard knew the risks and knew you were trying to help… but she was foolish to put you into that kind of danger. I'm glad nothing more serious happened. How are you feeling?" Dr. Chakwas reassured her, checking on her terminal.

"Better but what about Shepard? Did…" Liara asked, getting a little choked up.

"She was pretty shaken up but you had fainted in the CIC, so she carried you in her before I had Alenko take her to her room to calm down and take her medications. You should get some rest yourself, Liara. I'm sure that was quite an exhausting experience."

Liara couldn't help but agree and went to her room in the back of the med-bay. She was exhausted but she couldn't help thinking about what happened. Not the beacon's vision but the memory. It was so vivid, her skin was still tingling from the aftershocks. The burn, even though she had experienced it for a second or two, had been extremely excruciating. She couldn't imagine how bad it had been for Laura to lay there and suffer through that, waiting for help. Now Liara understood, partly, why she had walled up her mind and why Laura had hesitated on the suggestion of the mind meld… but she still took the risk. However, Liara couldn't discern anything useful from the vision and felt disappointed with herself. It definitely had something to do with the Protheans but it was nothing they could use. It was like there was a large chunk missing or something she just wasn't understanding… and that meant they were no closer to Saren.


	5. More than Meets the Eye

When I first wrote this, I made Ashley out to be a bit of a bitch towards the aliens on the Normandy, especially Liara but I toned it down because it was a bit out of character for Ashley.

Thanks for the comments so far and look forward to seeing more. I will try to keep up with responding, though takes me a day or two cause I tend to forget.

* * *

Everyone was assembled in the Normandy's cargo bay, considering it was the only room on the frigate with adequate space for what Shepard had planned for her new hodge-podge of a squad. Four aliens and three humans, including herself… this was definitely a mix she was unfamiliar with. Though she wasn't worried about Kaiden adjusting to the team's new make-up, she figured Ashley would be a 'work-in-progress'. Shepard was well aware of some of her crew being xenophobic but, thankfully, none of them were of the violent kind, though Chief Pressly tended to be a bit out-spoken… mostly when he didn't think the Commander was within earshot. Still, she needed to be sure everyone could tolerate working with each other. A weakness in the team's structure could really hurt them in the field, especially against a rouge SPECTRE, an asari matriarch with commandos, and a whole mess of geth standing right in the middle. Mistakes could not be afforded.

"Seems everyone's here and properly outfitted so, we can get started. This is a unique team and we're all pretty unfamiliar with working with each other… which is counter-productive to our objective. We've got a few weeks before we reach Feros so, in the mean-time and during other downtimes between missions, we'll be working on our relationships as a unit." Shepard announced to them all

"This is kind of exciting." Tali commented, fidgeting a little.

"I don't even know why I'm bothering with this." Wrex grumbled a bit sourly.

"Just humor me Wrex. Since we're all from different disciplines and backgrounds, I figured the best way for us to get started is with some friendly sparring… and no Wrex, no breaking bones." She replied, giving the krogan a stern glare.

Wrex simply laughed and grinned at her, knowing there wasn't anything Shepard could really do to stop him from doing so but she had a point. Roughing each other up too much would not help anyone. Laura was about to announce the first pairings when she paused for a moment, noticing a soldier in full armor standing just to the left of her field of vision. She turned her head slightly but it was gone. A cold feeling settled in her chest but she chose to ignore, focusing on the task at hand.

"With Tali's help, we've also got a holo simulator for practice against various types of geth… so we're better prepared for Feros. For now… why don't we start with Ashley and Garrus as our first match?" Laura continued looking at each in turn.

Ashley looked a bit dubious about fighting such a lanky looking creature and she especially had a sore spot for turians. However, her bravado was quickly humbled when she found the turian, that not as physical strong as her, was much more agile and dexterous. Within a couple of minutes, Garrus had Ashley pinned in a lock, Shepard trying her best to suppress a laugh as the gunnery chief refused to concede.

"Come on Ashley. Garrus has your leg behind your head. You're not getting out of this one." Laura chuckled, kneeling down to talk to the woman.

"I can… ugh, get out of this." Ashley replied stubbornly, trying to push herself up but Garrus had her helpless underneath him.

After a few more minutes of struggling, Ashley finally gave up. Once Garrus let her up, she expressed her surprise with how agile the turian was and interest in learning on how to do that herself. Shepard smiled, impressed that she was softening up a little. It was a start.

"Good show Garrus. Now, how about Tali and Kaiden?" Laura announced, moving on to the next pairing.

She cycled through everyone, though Wrex proved to be a challenge for everyone due to his size and skill with biotics. Everyone was winded and sweating… everyone except for Liara, who Laura had avoided pairing up with anyone on purpose and the team noticed.

"Is there a reason Liara hasn't gone yet?" Ashley asked a bit snidely, shooting the asari a disapproving look.

"Yes, Gunnery Chief and the next time you shoot her a dirty look like that, I'll shove my boot so far up your ass, you'll cough up my sock." Shepard replied, crossing her arms over her chest. Ashley immediately shut up.

"Dr, T'Soni will be sparring with me." Laura said, pulling on a pair of gloves to help protect her knuckles.

Liara was caught off-guard by the announcement, since she had expected the Commander… her Commander, to pit her against one of the other team members but to fight her… though they were of similar height and build, Shepard had a much more imposing aura about her. She swallowed hard and pulled on her own gloves. Her confidence was wavering a little but she knew that this was important; she had to prove she could hold her own.

There wasn't any 'start' given, simply Laura charging at her head-on. Liara stumbled to the side, nearly tripping over her own feet. The human was fast, immediately spinning on her heel to face Liara again. The asari desperately called on whatever scraps of her military training she could recall to help her in this situation but she was completely out of her element here. She managed to block a high kick and crouched, trying to sweep Shepard off her other leg but was too slow and her effort blocked. The punch to her gut nearly knocked all the air out of her lungs and sent her stumbling back a few steps. Shepard had not pulled that punch at all and that's when it clicked that this was serious, even if it was just a sparring match.

Shepard dodged the biotic blast but a second sent her off-balance, keeping her from recovering. Liara's sudden shift in tactics cause the Commander by surprise. Laura managed to recovered and rolled out of the way of a singularity, though the asari had used the distraction as an opportunity to move close and go on the offensive. Blocking, dodging… narrow misses, the fight between the two became quite intense. Though Liara was, wholly, inexperienced in any combat scenario she was adapting quite quickly. Liara let out a breathless gasp of triumph as she managed to sweep the Commander's legs out from under her but it was a short lived victory when Laura lashed out, kicking Liara in the knee. The pain made her leg buckle out from under her and the asari was suddenly on hands and knees. A moment later and she felt the human's body on her back and the cold metal of a blade being pressed against her throat.

"Never think your opponent is unarmed." Laura says in a low, husky voice that sends warm shivers down Liara's spine before the feel of the blade leaves her throat.

Laura had never expected the archaeologist to fight as valiantly as she had but it was a comforting start. She was about to have everyone take a break before they moved on to the simulator when Liara spoke up.

"I want a re-match, Commander." She said, still a bit short of breath.

"You sure, Liara?" Shepard asked, having already sheathed her knife.

The tension in the air was a bit thick and the look in Liara's blue eyes made her think of a time when she first joined the Alliance, fire in her eyes. It was a bitter-sweet thought but she couldn't help the smirk that tugged on her lips in response. To answer her question, Liara already shifted into a ready pose, waiting on the first move.

However, Laura decided not to make the first move this time. Her knee was still aching but Liara tried not to let it show. Minutes dragged on as they just stared each other down but Laura was a patient woman. It didn't take long until Liara threw a singularity at her to get Shepard to move. She dodged to the side, only to be hit by a Warp before she had a chance to gain her ground. Though it was a low intensity, it still hurt like hell… but Laura wasn't expecting the throw afterwards. The asari sent Shepard flying across the cargo bay, but not hard enough to throw her into the wall. The human tumbled a few feet before finally skidding to a halt, looking a bit dis-oriented.

"Alright, not bad there Dr. T'Soni." She mumbled to herself as she got up and brushed herself off, red hair a mess.

They both entered the designated sparring area again, this time Laura leading off. Her heart was racing with excitement for some reason, Liara ducking out of her range and getting behind her. She spun, a left hook already in motion. Standing just behind Liara's left shoulder was a soldier in blood-soaked armor, helm completely covering their face but there was gaping wounds all over them. The acrid smell of burnt flesh suddenly hit and Laura hesitated for a precious second, a second where she didn't see Liara's fist coming.

The blow knocked her back to her senses and she let out a startled swear as she felt her nose crunch under the blow, stumbling backwards to keep her balance. Everyone stared in stunned belief, even the crewmen who had come down to watch. Liara stared in surprise, having not expected her punch to connect. Laura had a hand clapped over her nose for a moment, pulling back to reveal a large spot of bright red blood, more of it dripping on to her shirt. Wrex let out a massive bark of laughter.

"Good shot asari!"

"Oh Goddess! I am so sorry Commander…" Liara started but Kaidan beat her to the punch.

"I'll get her to Dr. Chakwas." He announced, already leading the stunned woman to the elevator.

Liara felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, thinking the Commander would be mad at her now. She hadn't expected to break the woman's nose, she figured that she'd duck but something had made her hesitate for a moment, causing in error in her prediction. A sudden clap on her back made her jump and she turned to find it was Ashely, grinning.

"You're alright Liara… and Wrex is right, that was a good shot." She chuckled.

"I… I guess. I hope she isn't angry." Liara replied worriedly.

* * *

"I didn't expect her to break your nose there, Shepard." Kaiden teased as they sat in the mess hall.

Laura grumbled as she had her head tilted back, gauze shoved up both nostrils to stop the bleeding. Dr. Chakwas had checked her over and found her nose hadn't been broken, but was gonna be sore for a few more hours.

"I got distracted… still, she's got one hell of a punch. More to that archaeologist than I suspected." Laura commented, wincing as she felt her neck cramping up.

Kaiden got up and fetched two cups of insta-coffee from the little 'kitchen' on the Normandy… which was nothing more than glorified counter space, a microwave, and rehydrator. He set one cup in front of Shepard while he sat down across from her, watching her slowly tip her head down and rub at her nose gently. The gauze itched something fierce but she'd rather not gush blood into her coffee.

"Why did you keep her on, Shepard?" He asked idly.

"I still think I'm on the right track with this Prothean stuff and she's dedicated her life so far to the study of them. Her knowledge could really help us out."

"Alright… how have you been holding up?" He asked, deciding to switch topics.

Even since before joining the Normandy, Kaiden had developed a fascination with Shepard. Everyone in the Alliance, or at least most of everyone, knew of her descent into disgrace and debauchery that led to her discharge after recuperating from her wounds. Her re-instatement had been a surprise but when he was picked to join the Normandy's crew, he was quite enthusiastic at making a good impression on Commander Shepard. In her, he thought he saw a kindred spirit; someone who could, on some level, sympathize with his own plights.

"I'm fine." She replied with a scowl, not wanting to get into_ that_ kind of discussion right now… especially with one of her own crew members.

"You looked like you saw a ghost right before Liara clocked you. I know it's a sensitive topic but… I'm here for you." Kaiden pressed, trying to sound reassuring… find a foot-hold to get past Laura's defenses.

"I said I am fine, Alenko." She hissed, glaring at him as she took a big gulp of coffee... ignoring the fact it was burning her throat.

The table jumped a little when she slammed her cup down. She looked up to say something to Alenko in her annoyance, only to hesitate when she caught sight of a soldier standing behind him, bleeding from eyes, nose, and mouth… staring straight at her. Her hands started to shake and she mumbled an apology to him as she hastily got to her feet and went to her room. She fumbled with her over-ride code to lock the door but she finally got it punched in, Laura stumbled over to her desk.

_This was your fault!_

She knocked the pill bottle over as she spun, sending her medication flying all over that area of her cabin. There was another soldier there, someone she recognized… one of the officers who was with her when that building collapsed. There were pieces of shredded and melted metal sticking out of him, neck bent at in impossible angle with bone nearly sticking out from under the skin. His stare was soulless and accusing.

"You're not real…" She muttered in a breathless voice.

_You failed us! You got us all killed!_

The chant of voices was getting louder and she immediately scrambled for the pills on her desk, simply taking as much as she could grab in a single swipe and cramming them down her throat. Laura gagged as she swallowed about three times the normal dosage. The soldier was still there, staring at her wordlessly.

"Go away!" She screamed at it, feeling the scars starting to itch horribly.

Her cabin started to spin as the meds took hold and the specter flickered before fading, leaving her alone. The voices quieted and Laura found herself, oddly, at peace for the moment. She stumbled over to her bed, legs barely making the few steps before pitching her onto the mattress. Her eyes stung with tears as she clenched the bed sheets and sobbed in despair before passing out.

* * *

Liara found it difficult to focus on her work, constantly worrying about the Commander. No one had seen her after the sparring match and when Ashley had questioned Kaiden when he came back to the cargo bay, the Commander had locked herself in her room. She began to wonder if she had insulted the human in some manner by punching her in the face. No one else seemed to think so but it had been chewing at her for hours. Since she couldn't focus on her Prothean work, the asari thought helping the doctor might help ease her mind. Dr. Chakwas was at her terminal, per usual, when Liara came out of her make-shift room.

"Dr. Chakwas, did you need any assistance today?" She asked.

"No. Things tend to be pretty quiet when no one's getting shot at… though saw the handiwork of your shot at the Commander from earlier." She responded with a chuckle.

"I… didn't mean to hit her. I thought she was going to dodge…" Liara retorted in embarrassment.

"Don't feel so bad Liara. Shepard can take a punch and then some. Worst you've done is probably bruise her ego a little… though she's been locked up in her cabin for the past eight hours or so and didn't come out for dinner. Would you mind taking her some food? I'll over-ride the lock to her door." The elderly human said, giving her a warm smile before pointing at a tray of food she had sitting out.

Liara nodded, thinking it was the least she could do. Though she was still dubious about having not insulted Commander Shepard, she decided she should apologize anyway for giving her a bloody nose. She carried the tray to the room across the mess hall and paused. She saw the red light turn green but froze. She had never been in the Commander's quarters and it was Shepard's personal sanctuary on the ship. Maybe she didn't want to be bothered for a reason… but she saw Dr. Chakwas watching her from the med-bay and decided to just go through with it.

The door slid open as soon as she stepped closer to the threshold. Immediately, she spotted the Commander sprawled out on her bed, completely passed out… or at least, that's what she assumed. The door slid shut behind her as she entered the cabin and set the tray of food down on the table in the corner. Nervously, she approached the Commander, face partially hidden by her rumpled mess of red hair. Liara had never been this close to a human before… intentionally anyway. Shepard was snoring quite loudly, likely due to the gauze still jammed up her nostrils. The grating sound was kind of cute but irritating so she, carefully, removed the gauze and tossed in in the nearby waste-bin. Laura's breathing immediately quieted down to soft, steady inhales and exhales. Her scientific curiosity getting the best of her, Liara reached out to touch her hair but stopped herself.

After thinking it over a little, she decided to risk it. Purely for science she told herself despite the butterflies in her chest. She ran a strand of hair between thumb and fore-finger, amazed by the silky softness of it… and there were so many of these follicles too. Soon, Liara found herself running her fingers through the Commander's hair, amazed at how the color contrasted her skin but complimented Shepard's so well… and it was so smooth. She just couldn't get over it. Getting a bit over-zealous, her fingertips grazed against Shepard's scalp and the woman shifted slightly and let out a soft sound that was different from her breathing. Liara drew her hand back, starting to blush again. She was about to leave when she felt a tug on the hem of her coat and turned to find Laura had grabbed her, a green eye looking up at her. She was in trouble now.

"S-sorry to disturb you, C-commander. Dr. Chakwas… um, wanted me to bring you food." She stammered in reply, pointing a trembling hand at the table, expecting to be yelled at.

"Ah… why'd you stop? That felt kinda nice." Shepard drawled in response, letting the asari go and closing her eyes again with a heavy sigh.

"P-pardon?"

Still a bit disoriented from the lingering effects of her medication, Shepard slowly pushed herself up, drawing her legs up under her so she could sit properly. Her pupils were dilated and senses still a bit hazy and dulled but, for the most part, she was awake. The ghosts and voices were gone… for now anyway but Laura knew they'd come back soon enough. She stifled a yawn and tried to get up but her legs decided they had no strength in them.

"Food… can you bring that tray over, Liara?" Shepard asked, rubbing her eyes for a moment.

Liara grabbed the tray and hurriedly brought it to her. She stood there like a young girl waiting to be lectured by her mother. She still felt bad about punching Shepard earlier but was having a hard time finding the right way to start off apologize to her. Halfway through her meal, Laura finally realized Liara was still standing there. She looked up at the asari, cocking a brow in curiosity.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

"Um… I… I just wanted to apologize for… um… earlier… punching you…" She replied nervously, eyes darting down to her feet.

"Oh, that? Hahah, you're not the first person to punch me in the face Liara and likely not the last. You did well though. Sit and relax… I'm not gonna bite you." Laura chuckled, patting the spot next to her on the bed.

There was a long silence between them as Shepard finished eating and Liara just sat there, completely out of her element once more. Liara noticed the empty bottle and pills scattered across her desk and on the floor. She bit her lip, a question on the tip of her tongue.

"Commander… why did you hesitate?" She asked, wincing slightly as the words left her mouth.

Shepard finished her food and leaned over to toss the tray on to her desk. She saw the spilled pills and grimaced, remember that she could have killed herself a few hours ago if she had taken any more than what she had. It was starting to get worse but if Liara had noticed it... she let out a heavy sigh.

"You've been in my head, briefly. You caught a glimpse of what goes on in there." She replied a bit vaguely, though Liara got her point.

"I… am sorry, Shepard. I didn't mean to pry… and I am sorry about earlier… with your hair. I um… was… just fascinated, I mean curious, about it." She mumbled shyly.

Laura perked up a little in surprise and then started to laugh a little. She reached over and patted Liara on the shoulder before running her fingers through her hair to smooth it out… or at least try to.

"You don't have to apologize for the hair thing. You're not the first asari to do that … and… well… it actually felt kinda nice." Shepard replied, flushing a little.

"O-okay. I was concerned I had… insulted you." Liara continued, still a bit tense but not completely because of her nerves now.

"Tch, I'm a difficult person to upset… mostly. Besides, my face is about as attractive as Wrex's anyway so… You didn't do anything to mess that up." Laura laughed halfheartedly, trying to lighten the mood.

"I… I think your face is beautiful." Liara blurted out.

"Well, I… wow, catch me with my pants down why don't you? Thank you Liara." She replied, a bit stunned and flustered.

Their conversation tapered off a bit when Laura saw the time. They had a few days before reaching Feros and still a lot of work to do before they were a cohesive team. Laura glanced at her desk and decided to clean up the mess, Liara still standing there, watching. Once she was finished, she turned and gave the asari a wan smile.

"Thanks Liara… for the food I mean. Not the… petting… never mind. We should get back to drills; save the galaxy and what not." Laura commented shyly.

"O-f course. Um… Shepard I may have misjudged you before. There is more to you than I had suspected." Liara said softly, making Laura pause mid-step.

When Laura looked back at Liara, she felt her heart leap into her throat as she stared into those blue eyes, clear with emotions that gave her sudden butterflies in her stomach. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity but it was only be a few moments. Liara flushed and looked down finally, wringing her hands together.

"I… I'll see you down in the cargo bay… Commander." She muttered before hurriedly leaving the cabin.

Shepard stood there, a bit dumbfounded by what just happened. At first, she thought it was just wishful thinking but the fluttering of her heart and the primal thoughts suddenly racing through her mind said otherwise. A small smile was tugging on her lips and she couldn't help but laugh at herself.

"I guess you're not the only one who made a misjudgment Liara."


	6. Zhu's Hope

The Feros mission is pretty straight forward, so a relatively short chapter in comparison to the last one.

* * *

"That should be the last one Commander." Tali announced after checking the read outs on her omni-tools.

When they had arrived on Zhu's Hope, they had discovered an absolute mess of a colony. The few survivors left had been barely holding out against the Geth, invasion after invasion wearing on their supplies and moral. The arrival of an Alliance ship had bolstered their courage but it was a fleeting strength. Shepard had decided getting some of the colony's systems back online, such as the irrigation system, would help them out while they pressed on to the Exo-Geni headquarters, where the Geth had holed up. The MAKO was already ready and waiting to take the Skyway… but they were going to have to fight their way there first.

"Wrex, Ashley, and Tali will stay here while I take the rest of the team to the Exo-Geni headquarters. They'll probably try to take the colony again so no slacking while I'm gone." Shepard ordered.

"Aye Commander. You leaving anyone in charge?" Ashley asked a bit eagerly.

"Not particularly. You three sort it out with the colonists and try to keep them all in one piece until we've got the geth taken care of. Hopefully, we can figure out why Saren wants this place so badly."

Of course, the route to the Skyway was lined with geth but it wasn't anything they couldn't handle. The MAKO was waiting for them and Kaidan looked quite ill as Shepard climbed into the driver's seat, Garrus taking the gunner seat. He looked at Liara sympathetically, a look that confused her greatly.

"Buckle up tight… this is not going to be fun." He said.

Liara barely had a few seconds to settle in before Laura gunned the engine of the vehicle, making it lurch forward and out onto the ruins of the Skyway. To saw the road was bumpy would have been a severe understatement. Her neck hurt as she was bounced and jostled around, back of her crest likely bruised from hitting the back of the seat numerous times. When the MAKO came to an abrupt stop after several fire-fights, Liara felt like she had been trampled by krogan and Kaidan looked like he was about to vomit. They were picking up a distress signal from an encampment; survivors from the Exo-Geni building so, naturally, Shepard wanted to investigate.

From the survivors, they learned that the Geth had taken the building, attaching their ship to the side to power all the barriers keeping them out. It seemed a good portion of the scientists and security personnel had gotten out but were completely unaware of the situation at Zhu's Hope… not that they could provide much assistance. Crossing the Skyway for them would be suicide. After squeezing a few more tid-bits of information about the geth's forces and the building itself, everyone had to pile back into the MAKO… much to Liara's dismay.

* * *

"Fuck ya!" Shepard exclaimed as the last support tore away from the build with a loud screech, sending the geth mother ship plummeting to the planet's surface far, far below.

With the ship gone, that mean the interference from blocking their comms was no longer functioning. She immediately pulled up her omni-tool to radio into the Normandy but, instead, Joker was hailing her… and in a panic.

"Finally! Shepard, you need to get back here fast. I don't know what happened but the colonist have gone berserk." He reported in a heightened voice.

"What? What's going on over there?" Shepard demanded, confused by the information.

"As soon as the comms cleared up, the colonists suddenly started banging on the Normandy. Ashley got our crew back in and I sealed it but they are making a lot of noise out there. I think they might have moved one of the buildings… though I don't know why."

"We're on our way. Try not to harm them… something doesn't seem right." Shepard replied before cutting the line.

Once more, the trip in the MAKO was rough and nauseating and they stopped at the small camp with the Exo-Geni. That's when they learned the truth of the company's presence here and the colony. Apparently, a creature called a Thorian was discovered in a chamber below where Zhu's Hope had been constructed. The Throian had infected the colonists with spores, turning them into its slaves and Exo-Geni allowed this without informing them of the danger they were in. Luckily, most of the people there were remorseful for what they had done and handed Shepard a new grenade mod to help subdue the colonists that had not yet completely turned. Shepard thanked them but they needed to get back to Zhu's Hope before any serious damage was done to the Normandy.

* * *

Shepard grimaced as she found herself standing over the dead body of Fai Dan, gun still in his head as a pool of blood gathered under his head. Watching him shoot himself… how many times had she been at that threshold before? It pained her to think about it but, for the moment, the colony was quiet. The gas mod for the grenades kept casualties to a minimum but there was still the problem of the Thorian. The colonists would be a constant danger as long as that thing was still alive. She operated the lift, revealing the hidden passage down to the chamber.

"Let's go. Shepard to Normandy. We're heading underground. The colonists have been subdued but remain cautious. Don't know how long that gas will keep them knocked out."

Joker acknowledged a moment later before Shepard led them down. The air here was strangely thick and humid… the heat alone making her sweat under her armored suit. Guns drawn, they progressed slowly deeper and deeper into the cavern. They all noticed the strange, fleshy pods they were passing.

"I wonder what this Thorian looks… like?" Kaidan questioned as they rounded a corner, voice tapering off as he got his answer.

Laura felt her jaw go slack as she stared at the creature before them in the center of the shaft. It looked like a giant heart with the way it pulsed and twitched. She could make out, what appeared to be, a set of slanted eyes and tendrils hanging out towards the bottom. She wasn't sure if the thing could see but they sure as hell didn't have enough fire-power to destroy this thing. Shit.

"Should have brought bigger guns." Shepard commented softly, lowering her firearm a little.

"Commander, what are we going to…?" Liara started to ask, only stopping when the Thorian suddenly sprang to life.

It made this wet heaving sound, tendrils wiggling as its entire body vibrated until it, quite literally, threw something up with a disgusting 'splat' noise. Much to their surprise, it was an asari… though her skin color was all wrong. Instead of blue, she was a shade of green that matched the husk creatures they encountered earlier. Apparently, Saren had come to Zhu's Hope for the Thorian, for it was old… old enough to have been around when the Protheans were alive. It had absorbed some kind of memory from feeding off their corpses… a memory that was key to the vision from the beacon. Once again, Saren was a step ahead of them but he had, again, failed at destroying the piece Shepard needed… however getting it was not going to be easy.

Threatened by the geth attacks from earlier, the Thorian was in no mood to negotiate anything and immediately, the asari attacked. The fleshy pods they found earlier also opened up to. For each one they killed, another took its place and there was no end to them. Each time the asari was taken down, the Thorian would just spit out another one. There was no end to this.

"Look out!" Laura cried, shoving Kaidan out of the way as one of the husks vomited bile.

The liquid hit her and she could hear it hiss as it broke through her kinect barrier. Her entire body froze up and she just stood there, legs unwillingly to move. The flashback consumed her in the midst of their fight for a few seconds...

_Shoving the corporal out of the way, acid eating through flesh with agonizing, blinding pain… blood and destruction everywhere…_

"Commander!" Liara cried, biotically throwing Laura backwards a few feet to avoid the green asari's powerful warp.

Shepard recovered her senses, though her left side was aching and itchy horrible. She happened to look up and noticed a thick branch of flesh was stuck to the wall, connected right to the Thorian. That's when she realized there were several of them around the tunnel… holding the Thorian up.

"New plan! Aim for those!" She shouted, pointing at the flesh protrusion before opening fire.

They all concentrated fire on the thing until the Thorian let out a horrendous screech as it snapped away from the wall in a shower of greenish-white liquid. Shepard quickly ran them to the next one and repeated the same. She could hear stone starting to crack as it struggled to support the Thorian's massive weight. They just needed one more. Back up the flight of stairs one level and they had the last one. The asari was doubling her efforts to slow them down but it was all for naught. When that last support tore free, the Thorian let out a shrill shriek as it went plummeting down the chasm. Shepard flinched when she heard the impact of the fall echo back up.

"Shit…" She commented after peering down the black shaft, realizing that what she needed was now a pancake at the bottom of the shaft… somewhere.

"What now Commander?" Kaidan asked, wiping some thick goo off his armor.

"Guess Saren has the upper hand now. The Thorian had… wait. Did you hear that?" Shepard started to reply, startled by a wet sound coming from nearby.

Cautiously, the team went to investigate and found a room full of fleshy pods but the wall had housed one giant one… that had burst open. The asari from before was standing in a pile of goo, looking a bit disoriented. She wasn't green like before… but those had all been clones of some kind. This was the template for them. When she looked up and saw Shepard and her team, she immediately raised her hands in surrender.

"I do not intend to fight." She said.

"Good… I'm not really in the mood for more fighting. You're one of Saren's goons, aren't you?" Laura questioned, pistol still pointed at her.

"At first, no. I am Shiala, once a loyal follower of Matriarch Benezia but… Saren has done something to twist our minds to his cause. The ship he has, Sovereign, has a way of digging into your mind, making Saren's thoughts your own and forgetting all else." She replied

"His ship? Why did he want the Thorian?" Laura pressed, lowering her arms a little though Kaidan and Liara kept their own up.

"The Thorian had the Cypher; the very essence of the Protheans. He needed it to understand the beacon's message. I was… not gentle in extracting the information from the Thorian. Saren left me here as tribute to the Thorian after he got what he wanted." Shiala explained to her with distaste.

"So… there's no chance of me getting it at all. Great." Laura sighed in exasperation.

"There is. I still retain the Cypher in my mind and will pass it on to you. I bear no loyalty to Saren now and… I feel responsible for what has happened to the colonists. At the least, I can give you the means to stay on his trail." She replied.

Laura knew what that entailed and grimaced but it was necessary. She had been trying to hide the shaking in her hand as much as possible, even as Shiala approached her and touched her cheek gently. Staring into those black depths as her eyes changed… the meld was much different from Liara's. It was harsh, disconnected… uncaring. Simply meant to pass information and nothing more. There was no lingering on stray thoughts but having the Cypher imprinted on her mind and it hurt like hell. The images flashed before her mind, but this time there was a small amount of clarity to them. Still, the nightmares were tangled and it made her shaking worse.

"Commander?!" Kaidan exclaimed when Shepard fell to one knee as Shiala backed off.

"I'm fine! I… I just need a moment…" Shepard gasped, feeling her chest tightening and heart hammering in her ears.

As Kaidan helped Laura up to her feet and supporting her so she could walk, Liara caught a glimpse of her face. She was pale as a sheet, sweating, and her pupils dilated. Worry suddenly pierced her chest. Shepard was not ok.


	7. Helping the Hero

This becomes a little straying arc from the actual Mass Effect story line to play around with Shepard's background a bit.

Originally, Rebehka and Serah had 2 asari parents but I changed it down to just living with the mother, since I changed up who the girls' fathers were... but that isn't important until later on.

* * *

_"Commander, something seems to be interfering with our comm signal."_

_Shepard gave the communications chief a confused look, staring blankly at the monitor as he tried to explain what was going on. All she knew was that patrols hadn't reported in in the past ten minutes. They were even having trouble getting in contact with the warship orbiting above them._

_"Ma'am… there's a secondary signal being broadcast at a low frequency… from somewhere in the colony."_

_"What? Is it related to the jamming frequency?" She asked, still not sure what she was looking at._

_ Before he could respond, the ground shook. A gentle tremor but strong enough to get everyone's attention and make the lights flicker. There was mumbling between people, since Akuze wasn't known for having seismic events. Still…something had happened to the colonists here. When they had arrived, the colony was completely empty, looking as if attacked but there was no sign of pirates or slavers raiding the place. Another shake, stronger this time, knocked over several piece of equipment and a weakened building on the edges of the colony collapsed, startling every marine there._

_"Set up the emergency distress beacon and try to hail the Mjolnir. Now!" Shepard ordered, scrambling to get everyone under control but even their short-link comms were acting up._

_ There was the sound of something rupturing and she spun, shouting for any of marines within ear-shot while the few non-combat operatives they had with them scrambled around cluelessly. Something was coming this way and it was massive. A building caved creating a thick screen of dust and debris… then the ground gave a violent shake that threw them all off their feet ass something exploded out of the ground. The scream drowned out all other sounds as two thick arms crashed down around them, smashing one of the MAKOs under it and destroying scattering their communications array. Laura stared in horror at the towering beast, a creature she had only heard about in vids. A Thresher Maw. She screamed as she saw several of her men suddenly succumb to the monster's acidic spray._

_"Commander! Commander!"_

"Commander!" Joker called over the intercom, startling her awake.

Laura sat up, panting and covered in a sheen of sweat. The alarm on her omni-tool was going off but she hadn't heard it. A sudden wave of dizziness overcame her and she curled up, groaning.

"Hey Shep, you ok in there?" Joker called, reminding her of why she woke up in the first place.

"I… I'm fine Joker. What are you bothering me for?" She replied, rolling onto her back and draping an arm over her eyes.

"Well… you were supposed to be doing drills twenty minutes ago but Kaidan took over doing that so… anyway, we're also about twenty hours out from the Citadel. You want me to send a message to the Council and Udina?" He replied, sounding a bit worried.

"Huh? Oh… um… ya, sure. I also need to make a personal call so open up an encrypted channel for me." Laura replied, slowly sitting up and running her fingers through her disheveled hair.

"Aye Commander. Encrypted channel open for you." Joker said before going back to his business.

Laura brought up her omni-tool, hesitating for a moment to contact who she was thinking about. They hadn't talked much since her re-instatement a year ago. They still talked through messages but since becoming a SPECTRE, those had become few and far between as well. Still, she felt herself on that edge… a cross-road with a difficult pair of choices. Laura hesitated on making the call and finally… decided against it. She called up Joker to tell him to close the channel before finally getting out of bed and getting dressed. Laura kept telling herself she could make it through this… that she didn't need to burden others with this. She had to stay tall, as was expected of her. Too much was riding on catching Saren and Benezia.

Of course, as soon as she walked out of her room, Kaidan was there, as if waiting for her. Her brow furrowed for a moment, vaguely remembering something Joker had said earlier.

"Aren't you supposed to be down in the hold doing drills with the rest of the team?" She asked, wincing at the ache still pulsing at the base of her skull.

"I came up to check on you, Shepard. You haven't been looking too good sine we left Feros and the crew's been a bit unsettled. You holding up ok?" He replied, giving her an affectionate smile… one Shepard did not return.

"I'm fine. Have everyone come up to the CIC room for a debriefing. We'll be at the Citadel tomorrow." She ordered, shrugging him off.

Kaidan looked a little disappointed about her rejection but did as she ordered and headed to the elevator to go down to the cargo hold. Shepard waited a moment to be sure he was gone, then headed for the CIC room herself to wait for everyone.

* * *

"You've got to be an iron wall, Liara. Can't let anyone push you around." Wrex instructed, Liara recovering from his last attack.

The krogan was trying to help her strengthen her biotic barriers. Liara was skilled with offensive biotic attacks but her defensive skills were sub-par at best. They all knew their next mission was going to be on Noveria, confronting her mother and she wanted to be prepared. Her mother was a powerful biotic and everyone would need to be in peak condition to successfully apprehend her. They paused when the elevator arrived and Kaidan stepped out. Liara was disappointed that Shepard was not with him.

"The Commander wants us all up in the CIC room for a debriefing. Now." He ordered, sounding as if he was in charge when he really wasn't.

Since Feros, Liara had noted Ashley and Wrex had both been making snide comments about Kaidan and Laura… mostly about Kaidan being in a pointless pursuit for the Commander's affection. The comments made her heart twinge with an unfamiliar sensation each time it was mentioned but it was worse when she was alone and her imagination ran away from her. Liara was well aware of what her species went through during the maiden stage but it was never much of a distraction… until after meeting the Commander on Therum... no, that was the start but it had only gotten worse when she had first melded with the Commander. She couldn't stop thinking about that nightmare she caught a glimpse of… it had spurned her to do her own research into the event itself.

Akuze, 2177… Shepard had been discovered as the sole survivor of her unit after attempting to discover why the primary colony on the planet had gone dark. She had been in intensive care for months before she could make a report, describing several Thresher Maws had attacked them but nothing more. After that… well, it was too painful to fathom what that woman went through. Still, Liara felt she needed to do something to help her beyond figuring out what Saren was after and stopping her mother. A life debt wasn't so easily repaid.

Once all their equipment was stored away, they went to the CIC room as a group and found Shepard already there, waiting for them. She was leaning on the railing by the console, brow furrowed in pain for a second before she put on her usual 'Commander' appearance. Everyone sat down and waited for her to start. Briefly, Liara's eyes met with Shepard's and she could see that the darkness in her eyes was getting stronger. Her heart pulsed in sympathy.

"When we arrive on the Citadel, the crew will have forty-eight hours of shore-leave. I want everyone to be fresh and ready for the mission to Noveria. Council's intel says Matriarch Benezia is still there for whatever reason but attempts to get details from Binary Helix have been unsuccessful. They're pretty protective of their clients but Saren has got something going on there." Shepard started, getting straight to the point as she brought up images and information on Noveria and the facilities there.

"There have been a few geth sightings but Binary Helix is, of course, denying those claims… but we've got to be prepared for anything. The Normandy will be getting some much needed upgrades and everyone will have some new equipment."

"Finally. That armor is chaffing my plates in all the wrong places." Garrus commented, earning a couple chuckles.

"Have you been able to discern anything new about that vision after getting the Cipher, Commander?" Kaidan ask, deciding to keep them on track.

Laura's expression fell into a scowl. Though she had been trying to decipher what she had seen, the fact that her own cruel images had gotten mixed in made it difficult. Though she now understood the context of the beacon's vision, she still had no clue what she was supposed to be looking for. She chanced a glance at Liara, knowing the archaeologists might find what she was missing but she didn't want to expose her to danger again… not with her slipping like this.

"Unfortunately, no. A few details have cleared up but nothing makes sense still." She replied with a sigh.

"What about the meld-thingy with Liara? Maybe that'll help this time." Surprisingly, Ashley was the one who suggested it.

Liara felt eyes on her and flushed. It had crossed her mind after Feros but she had been too afraid to ask. It wasn't, exactly, because of what happened the last time but it was mostly because she felt Shepard would have said no. Kaidan scowled at the idea and started to protest but Shepard cut him off. Ashley was right… Shepard wasn't going to learn anything like this. They'd have to risk it again but she feared that, given how things were unraveling, Liara would be in serious danger. The innocent asari… she didn't want to bring harm to her.

"I have no qualms with trying again if you're willing Commander." Liara spoke up, standing up from her seat.

Laura took a deep breath and let it out slowly. No hallucinations… yet but the effectiveness of the meds had become unpredictable. It wouldn't be long… just the vision and that was it. Keep it quick and clean, don't expose the asari to anything more. Though she didn't feel confident in going through another mind meld again, Laura galvanized herself by think of Saren… mocking her from somewhere in the depths of the Traverse. She clenched her jaw, resolve steeled for the time being.

"Let's do it." She announced, pushing off the rail and walking to the center of the room to join Liara.

Everyone was watching with varying levels of fascination as Shepard placed her hands in Liara's and the asari's eyes went black as the void of space. Both Ashley and Kaidan found it unnerving but the rest of the crew didn't seem too bothered by it. They just stood there unmoving. Shepard's eyes seemed to be moving under her eye-lids, face moving through a wide range of emotions through the whole event. Kaidan was getting nervous the longer and longer they stood there without a word. He started to think something was wrong but Wrex warned him not to interrupt.

Suddenly, Shepard's eyes snapped open and Liara collapsed into her arms, shaking badly. Gently, Shepard knelt, cradling Liara worriedly. It had gone too far… she had tripped the memory and it had completely got out of her control.

"Shepard what happened?!" Tali asked worriedly as they all crowded around.

"I… Liara… help me get her to Chakwas." Shepard said in a shaky voice, terror written all over her face.

* * *

Liara could only describe the sensation as being dragged underwater by a powerful current, forced to ride it out until it spat her out where-ever it pleased. The Cipher had cleared up the vision somewhat, a planet of Prothean origin but no inkling to its name or location. She was certain there was a large chunk of the message missing… a piece they did not have.

Then she was suddenly in the middle of the ruins of the colony on Akuze… except this time, Liara was simply a spectator. Laura, covered in blood, armor burned and melted, screaming over the corpses of her dead squad. Anger, guilt, hatred, sorrow… the amalgamation of emotions was overwhelming, Liara began to think they originated from her but she knew better. She had to keep herself grounded that this was NOT her… she was simply an accidental visitor, witnessing what Shepard had kept buried for years. She felt… no, Laura held herself responsible for the death of her crew, even though the circumstances were beyond her control.

And then the current swept her under again. Flashes of other memories were mixed in but Liara couldn't get a clear look at them before the current spit her back out into the conscious world. Her head ached but she slowly recovered to the sound of a familiar, warming voice saying her name.

"Liara? Liara, are you ok?" Shepard asked worriedly, noticing the asari had started to stir.

After Chakwas evaluated her to ensure she wasn't in any danger, Shepard had taken the asari to her make-shift quarters and laid her out on the cot. Over the past twelve hours, she kept diligent watch over her, worried she had seriously harmed the asari this time. Panic and paranoia gripped at her like claws in her gut. This was exactly what she feared would happen and it happened. Seeing Liara's face contorted in pain… it hurt. Laura had been berating herself for hours before Liara finally started to wake up.

"Uh… Laura?" Liara said in a husky voice, squinting at her as her vision slowly refocused itself.

"Thank god you're ok. I'm so sorry…" She muttered, expression contorted in pained concern.

"I… wait, how long have I been out?" Liara asked, slowly sitting up.

"Little over twelve hours." Shepard replied, though still quite tense.

"Oh dear, so we're almost to the Citadel… the vision! Right, I…" Liara started but Shepard cut her off.

"You need to take it easy. The vision can wait… I've put you through more than I should have." Shepard said, getting apologetic again.

"Lau… Commander, it's ok. I'll be fine, really but this is important. The Conduit… it's on a Prothean planet but I don't know which one. There's a piece missing to the message." The asari told her, trying to give Laura a reassuring smile despite the mild headache she still had.

"A planet? Huh… maybe Saren discovered the piece we're missing first but then… what is Benezia doing on Noveria?" Shepard retorted, jumping back into 'work mode'.

Liara was relieved she had managed to distract the Commander from her depressive thoughts but that was only for a few fleeting moments. The thoughts consumed her again and Shepard's expression darkened, giving Liara an apologetic look once more.

"Liara, listen… I… I lost control… I didn't mean to expose you to…"

"Shepard, it's ok. I… I know I can't fully understand what you went through but I want to help… even if it's just to be a shoulder to cry on or an ear to scream in. I… know I'm not very good with interpersonal communications and the like but…" Her voice trailed off as her nerves choked the rest in her throat.

"Liara… this isn't a rabbit hole you want to be jumping down."

"A rabbit hole?" Liara asked in confusion, not getting the reference.

"Reference to an old Earth story… I mean this isn't something you should try to get yourself tangled into. I've dragged a lot of people down with me before… with disastrous consequences. I don't want to do that to you… especially not you." That last part snuck itself in and Laura felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. Smooth, she berated herself.

"I understand that this is dangerous but you need help. I'm not trying to be… forceful but you've done so much for me I feel… not obligated but I want to help you return and not just with finding Saren and the Conduit. Maybe it's a bit presumptuous of me but… I… well…" Again, the words stuck in the asari's throat, no courage to voice the feelings she had that were giving her butterflies in her stomach and making her heart race in her chest.

Her words of concern were oddly touching, but it was probably also the way the asari was looking at her with those big, beautiful clear blue eyes that really melted Shepard's heart. She was just so damn pure and innocent and charming and… 'whoa, slow your roll there' she mentally reminded herself as her thoughts nearly strayed to a realm they shouldn't at this moment. A half-smile tugged at the corner of her mouth and Liara was surprised to watch the Commander's expression soften.

"You're right… I do need help. I'm getting to that point where I just… it just feels hopeless. Ever since I touched that beacon, my meds aren't working and everything is just flooding back in. I saw therapists and what not back then but… you're probably the first in a few years who's been in my head." She replied, decided it was much easier to talk about it rather than skirt around the subject.

"You seemed… very familiar with asari Joinings… not that I've joined with many people I mean…" Liara replied, blushing.

"Oh, ya well… when I hit rock bottom, I had a run in with an asari who I am now good friends with. She introduced me to Sha'ira, the Consort. I owe a lot to Sha'ira for giving me the help she did. She also taught me how to… wall off certain thoughts and emotions if I needed to. My time with her was… interesting." Laura replied, taking a moment to realize the implications of the last sentence.

"I mean, I never… ah, had sex with her. Never… well, with an asari at least." She mumbled, face turning red.

The jealousy in Liara's heart calmed somewhat, comforted by the knowledge that no other asari had had the Commander in that way… and the thought surprised her. It's not like her and the human were a… item or anything but Liara was noticing the thought was becoming more and more prevalent as of late. Still, Shepard had shown no inkling of being interested in any kind of relationships outside of comradeship but yet… here they were, talking about things Shepard had taken great pains to keep to herself until now. Somehow, talking to Liara was reassuring and setting her mind at ease. The asari wasn't trying to sympathize or tell her what she was doing wrong or right. Just… listening. Having someone just listen and be interested was soothing

"Well, I just made this awkward, didn't I? Let's talking about something else… like your Prothean research, Liara." Laura

The way the asari's eyes lit up when topic turned to her research and the last few hours before they reached the Citadel. Though Shepard had a hard time following most of her 'lecture', there were a few things she had caught on to, namely the sudden disappearance of the Protheans. What little research she had supported the notion that they had been eradicated… though nothing she had supported it was the Reapers specifically but it had merit. They were so caught up in their discussion that Joker's announcement startled them both.

"I… no one ever has taken my work seriously so it is rare I get to talk with about it at such length with anyone. Thank you for… indulging me, Commander." Liara said, flushing lightly.

"Laura. When not around the crew, rank isn't needed Liara." Laura said warmly.

"Alright… Laura. I hope something turns up in our chase after Saren that will fill in that missing piece. I am… eager to learn the truth of my theories." The asari continued

"Together then. This is more than just Saren attacking human colonies. If the Reapers are real… everyone's at risk."

Joker announced a moment later that they were docked on the Citadel. Together, the two of them walked out of the med-bay, joining the rest of the team and some of the crew to get off the ship. Wrex chuckled when he noticed the looks Liara and Laura were not so subtly exchanging as they all waited for the final stages of clearance to go through. Once they were free to leave, everyone started to chatter about their plans as they headed to the elevator down to C-SEC. Laura and Liara ended up getting separated. The trip, as all elevator trips on the Citadel, seemed to take forever. Once it stopped, everyone was eager to be on their way…

"Sheppy!"


	8. A Single Spark

More side-track adventures, namely re-interpreting the 'start' of Liara's romance path.

Hope you readers are still enjoying the story.

* * *

Laura was startled by the voice that shouted that nick-name. Everyone in the crew was staring at either her or the little girl running at her… though it was no ordinary little girl but a very young asari… likely no older than seven or eight years old. Shepard, though embarrassed, knelt to hug the little girl but got kicked in the shin instead.

"Ow! What was that for?" Shepard demanded, wincing as she rubbed her leg and her team snickered, most of the crew already having dispersed.

"I was gonna throw a party for your big Council… thingy but you left!" She huffed angrily, pouting at her.

"Looks like 'Sheppy' has gotten herself in trouble." Wrex chuckled, knowing he'd get away with it.

"Serah, are you picking on Laura again?" A second voice called, everyone moving aside.

It was an older asari with darker skin than Liara and a little taller, though it was hard to tell what age she might be but she was definitely a maiden. Laura scooped Serah up in her arm and gave a half-hearted laugh.

"Good to see you Rebehka but… what are you two doing here?" She asked, setting the little asari down and trying not to let her face turn any more red.

"Serah wanted to catch you before you had the opportunity to sneak away from her again. Mom was busy so, I came with her. What'd you do to your face?" The older asari replied, smirking as she pointed at the fresh scarring.

"Krogan. What are you all still standing around here for? Go on, shoo. Go do whatever you do on shore-leave.

The team laughed but went about its separate ways… except for Liara. She hadn't made any real plans except to do some shopping and grab a bite to eat. She lingered for a few moments longer, curious about Shepard's interactions with these two asari before heading on her way, smiling at seeing Shepard being so sweet. Maybe she'd hear the story later.

* * *

"Yay ice cream!" Serah exclaimed happily, treat in hand.

Laura had taken the two girls out for some treats as she escorted them home. Serah and Rebehka were the daughters of a friend who helped set her on the path of recovering from rock-bottom. The two girls insisted that she come to their home and have a proper, though belated, celebration of her SPECTRE status. The little asari rode on Shepard's shoulders. As they walked, it proved to be an opportune time to catch up with the elder daughter.

"So… you're what now, fifty-three?" She asked jokingly.

"Fifty-five… but close enough. We haven't really heard much from you since you joined the SPECTREs. It's really upset Serah you know." Rebheka chided.

"I know but I've been out in the Terminus Systems… not much opportunity to send letters back and forth. Pretty high priority mission." Laura explained, patting Serah's leg but the little one was distracted.

"Ya, Saren was all over the news for a few months… though everyone's been reporting every little thing you do now. First human SPECTRE, saving a human colony from a geth attack, exposing corporate secrets… you know how to keep yourself busy."

"True. So, you still in school?" Laura asked, deciding to change topic from work.

"Almost finished actually. I'm planning on enlisting after I graduate." Rebehka replied proudly.

"Enlisting? I hope you're not referring to joining Eclipse." Shepard replied dubiously.

"Of course not. Why would I join those losers? I'll be returning to Thessia to join the academy and become a Commando… unless the Alliance is letting non-humans into the N7 program." She replied with a proud smile.

"Ha, believe me kiddo, the N7 program would even run a krogan battlemaster ragged but… being a Commando is an admirable goal Rebehka. I'm proud and I bet your mom is too… Tevara knows, right?"

They continued to chat and swap stories back and forth until they reach a penthouse tower where the two girls lived. Laura wasn't really familiar with this area but was pleased to find that the place hadn't changed much. Having grown up on star-ships all her life, Shepard never really had a 'home' per say but this place… for the brief time she was here all those years ago it had felt the closest to home than anything. Once they were inside, Serah wanted to play with Shepard, show her all the stuff she had been doing in school and what not. Rebehka said it would be a couple more hours before Tevara, their mother, returned home.

The wait, however wasn't nearly that long. Tevara came home about an hour after they did. By then, Shepard and Serah were in-grossed in a game of hide and seek while Rebehka watched the news. However, Tevara did not come home alone.

"Laura! The girls said they were going to meet you at C-SEC but I didn't expect to see you here." The asari greeted, setting down her bags.

She gave Laura a big hug, obviously quite pleased to see her. Like her daughters, Tevara had dark blue skin and deep green eyes. Though a matron, she still retained a set of light purple facial tattoos along her cheekbones. She gave Shepard a warm, welcoming smile and ruffled her hair.

"I see you managed to mess up your face. Oh, I found a friend of yours on my way home. She seemed lost, so I was gonna call you but since you're here…" Tevara said, stepping aside so Laura could get a good look at who she was referring to.

"Liara? Are you ok?" Shepard asked, immediately hurrying to her in worry.

"I'm fine Shepard I just got… turned around and couldn't remember how to get back to C-SEC. Tevara and I nearly ran into each other and well, recognized me from the vids I guess about being on your crew." Liara said sheepishly.

"Small world right? Come, I'll fix everyone some lunch… where's Serah?" Tevara asked, noticing her young daughter missing.

"We were playing hide and seek. She's probably hiding under your bed." Laura replied as she led Liara to the living room to sit on the couch.

Rebehka moved over to allow the two to sit, flipping the channel to something more interesting. Having Liara here was such an odd coincidence but Tevara was a caring person and never hesitated to help someone in need, even when it got her into trouble. Liara remembered that Shepard had mentioned earlier that an asari had helped her out at a critical low point in her life… this must be her and her family. However, Rebehka had suddenly become quite interested in the two of them when she noticed the looks they kept giving each other.

"So… Dr. T'Soni, right? You're an archaeologist?" She asked, deciding to break the ice with something rather obvious.

"Yes. I specialize in Prothean studies. Not as exciting work as what I do for Com… Laura on her mission." Liara replied, easing into the conversation rather smoothly.

"Wow… wish I could go with you guys. Fighting the good fight and protect the galaxy." Rebehka sighed whimsically.

"You'll have your chance one day Rebehka… but get your training done first." Laura reminded her, earning an eye roll from.

"Ya, I know. You sound like my mother." Rebehka complained.

"Good. Maybe you'll listen to one of us. You've got too much of that bull-headedness krogans have." Tevara chided as she walked into the room with a tray of drinks and sandwiches.

Serah had been tucked into bed for a nap, so that left them free to chat. Liara felt, oddly, comfortable here. Much of the home reminded her of her mother's home on Thessia… something she hadn't realized she missed so much until now. Laura also seemed much more relaxed here, flashing the occasional smile and laugh that she had only seen when the two of them were alone and unseen by the rest of the Normandy crew. The pain was still there but Shepard, for the time being, seemed to be enjoying herself. The atmosphere made Liara a little homesick and reminded her of kinder times with her mother. Her expression became sullen as she was reminded of the upcoming mission to Noveria in the day after next. Tevara noticed and decided to change topic.

They talked for a while longer before Shepard was called back to the Normandy. Liara went with her after saying good-bye to Tevara and her family. They were sweet people and she got to see a completely different side of Shepard… a notion that made heart flutter happily. The walk to the nearest taxi station was quiet and nerve-wracking. By now, Liara was certain her feelings had evolved into more than simple scientific fascination with the human. The way they looked at each other… their conversations… maybe she wasn't making mountains out of mole-hills here but part of her was certain it was more than that… at least, she hoped that was the case.

"Liara… you don't have to come to Noveria." Laura said out of the blue, slowing her stride a little.

"Huh? No I want to… I have to. I need answers from Benezia." The asari immediately protested.

"Ok but…" the words stuck in her throat.

Shepard didn't want to say that they may have to kill Benezia if she did not come willingly or quietly. Even if she wasn't aware of Saren attempting to kill her daughter. Laura jumped when she felt a gentle touch on her arm and looked at Liara. Those eyes… those damnable clear eyes made her heart melt and her knees weak.

"I know, Shepard… and I am ready." Liara said reassuringly.

"Liara… killing someone, another living being, not just a geth or creature… it changes you forever. I don't want that to happen to you." Shepard admitted.

"I don't want a protector. I can handle it when it comes to that. I am not a child." The asari retorted a bit aggressively.

"Sorry, I just… worry."

"Do you worry about all your crew like this?" Liara asked, raising a brow quizzically.

"Well, of course I do! I just… well… the others have military backgrounds so I just… really concerned about you… and... god, I sounds stupid don't I?" Laura sighed, realizing that she couldn't' disguise her reasoning.

"You sound like me a little bit." The asari teased, starting to blush again.

Liara slipped her hand into Shepard's and gave it a gentle squeeze, though instead of calming her down it just made her heart race faster. These feelings she had for the asari had happened so chaotically fast… at first, Laura believed it had happened only because the asari had been in her head. The meld could have that effect on humans but it wore off after a while. However, the feeling never worse off, it only got worse… like fever that infected her entire being. Feeling the warmth of her hand was doing funny things to Shepard's head but she refused to let go.

"Ok, so I worry about you a little more because of… reasons. That's all I'll say on the matter." Laura huffed, continuing on to the taxi station.

"Huh? Why?" Liara asked, confused.

"Highly classified." Shepard responded without looking at her.

Unsatisfied with that response, Liara immediately planted her feet and pulled on Laura's arm, pulling the human off balance. Shepard stumbled a couple of steps as she turned, nearly bowling Liara over. With a yelp, she grabbed Laura's shoulder with her free hand while the human slung her other arm around her waist to keep her up-right. They stared at each other, stunned by the predicament they found themselves in but unable… or unwilling to move.

"Perhaps I'm over-analyzing but… there is more to your reasoning than simple concern, Shepard. I… admit, my initial fascination with you was because of the beacon but over these past few weeks, I have found it stems beyond that. I feel… there is a connection between us, something I can't fully describe."

"Well, that could just because we've melded…" Shepard said, find it suddenly difficult to maintain eye contact with the asari.

"I thought so too but…" Liara's response trailed off, breath hitching in her throat.

They both stood there, staring at each other and trying to read each other's expressions as they sorted out their feelings. Laura found Liara was right, this was a very mutual attraction, one she had been keeping buried under her duties as a SPECTRE and only now was letting it surface. Her mouth suddenly felt dry and, reflexively, she licked her lips… an action Liara watched with a bit too much interest. Though the idea of being with Liara was appealing, Shepard forcibly quashed that idea in her head. She straightened up and retreated from her, letting go of her hand as well.

"Liara, regardless of how we might feel… I am not someone you want to be with." She said, hoping to let her down gentle, contrary to what her emotions were telling her.

"That's hardly for you to decide, Laura. I think we just need time to think about this. After Noveria… we'll talk more about." Liara replied stubbornly.

"I'm beginning to think you like getting yourself into trouble, Dr. T'Soni." Laura said, unable to stop the smirk on her face.

* * *

"Hey mom… you think Laura's got a thing for Dr. T'Soni?" Rebehka asked as she helped her mom clean up the dishes from dinner.

Tevara paused for a moment, giving her daughter a quizzical look… though she knew what she was referring to. The way those two kept glancing at each other, staying close… it was almost comical in a way.

"I think that spark's already been lit. It'll smolder for a bit but I am quite certain it will become a flame that consumes them both." Tevara replied, her daughter groaning.

"What?"

"You could have just said 'yes' instead of going on one of your romantic tangents, mother." Rebehka said, making a grossed out face as she finished putting dishes away.

"You're a maiden dear. One day, those same flames of passion will get a hold of you. Oh, I do hope things work out between those two. They'd make such a great couple."


	9. Little Wing

Had a lot of... unfortunate things going on, so I lacked the urge to write for awhile but finally got some more chapters done. Continued thanks to those that have reviewed and apologize if I have no replied. My internet has been pretty funky.

* * *

"You'll pay for this Shepard!" Anoleis screamed as Gianni dragged him away, people gossiping and gawking as Laura smirked smugly.

"The Council probably isn't gonna like hearing about this, Commander." Kaiden chided dubiously as the salarian kept yelling, voice fading slowly but surely.

"Oh well… he's lucky I didn't just out-right shoot him. He's already wasted our time and Benezia's had more than enough to shore her defenses. We better get to the MAKO and on our way before that storm outside gets worse." She retorted, shrugging him off.

With the garage pass in their possession, the team headed for the lower level to get on their way. Liara could feel her hands shaking, pulsing thundering in her throat. She had thought she'd be prepared for this when they had landed but as soon as she had stepped off the Normandy with the rest of the team, all of that confidence had gone rushing out of her. The asari was so caught up in her own worries and nerves, she hadn't realized they had stopped until she ran right into Wrex's back.

"Careful." He warned in a low voice, turning to check on her.

Shepard was looking at the scanner on her omni-tool and there were blips all over the garage… blips that were confirmed by Tali to be geth. Apparently, commandoes weren't the only thing Benezia brought with her. The prospect of having to fight their way through geth forces to reach the labs, in the snow, with a storm going on, was no very appealing… especially since Shepard had been extremely adamant about driving the MAKO. Slowing pulling her rifle off her back, she signaled for the team to spread out and take positions… except for Liara. She beckoned the asari to stay near her as the rest of the team spread out. The chirping sounds of the geth started to echo across the garage.

"Laura… I don't need a guardian." Liara grumbled.

"I'm not protecting you… you're guarding me. Being a sniper is a bit danger…" Shepard started to explain but the eruption of gunfire interrupted her.

The geth had engaged but they were only standard units and a few of the pesky stealth ones that jumped around and crawled about on the walls. Liara tried but the gun… her hands were shaking so hard it was difficult to get a shot off. Shepard was attempting to pick off the stealth units but their rapid movements were making it difficult to get a shot off in time before they leapt away. One suddenly flanked her on the right and Liara barely caught sight of it on the edge of her field of vision. She shoved Laura down, the shot narrowly missing her. The geth's body ripped apart as Laura hit it with a biotic blast… however, her heroics left her expose and a geth trooper shot, the bullet ripping through her kinetic barriers and armor, spattering the container and part of Shepard's back with dark blue blood.

"Liara!" Shepard cried, grabbing her and pulling her down as panic gripped her chest tightly.

"I'm ok… it's just a scratch." Liara said, wincing and gritting her teeth as the wound hurt, hand clapped over it to stem the bleeding.

Laura was already pulling her medi-gel kit from her belt, relaying what had happened to the rest of the team. Luckily, by the time she finished giving the information, the squad had cleaned up the last few geth in the garage. Once Liara was patched up and assured the Commander she was still fit to accompany them, everyone got in the MAKO and they made their way Peak 15.

* * *

Fighting through the geth hadn't been too bad… if Shepard hadn't nearly driven them off a cliff about a dozen times before they finally reached the entrance to Peak 15, which of course, was sealed off. Tali got through the security system but aside from a few more geth waiting for them, the place was oddly abandoned. The first station was eerily empty, with several windows broken that had let the snow in before the security shutters had come down.

"Something doesn't feel right about this place…" Ashley commented as they proceeded towards the station entrance.

Everyone jumped when there was rattling sound but there was nothing… likely just the air circulation or something falling loose at the wrong time. Shepard felt her chest pounding and swallowed down her nerves. Ashley's instinct were right; there was something wrong about this place.

"Commander… I'm getting an odd reading on the omni-tool… I can't tell where…" Tali announced but it was too late.

The creatures burst out from the floor and ceiling in ambush, screeching angrily. One slammed right into Shepard and carried her completely away from the group, tentacle throwing her to the ground and tumbling through the white snow. Her pistol had been tossed from her grasp, sitting a few feet from her left as she, slowly, picked herself up… only to find herself face to face with the creature.

It looked like some sort of crustacean, like a shrimp, with four spindly legs and a set of thin arms hanging under its head. A pair of long, prehensile tentacles swayed about, their ends like secondary mouths that split open and tripped with some sort of fluid. The creature raised its tentacles, revealing a circular mouth filled with razor sharp teeth, almost like a…. the flashback came fast and she found herself scrambling for her gun in a panic, brief flashes of snow becoming sand and the unnamed beast becoming something much larger.

The alien screamed and lunged as soon as it saw her scramble for her weapon, spindly legs knocking the weapon away as it slammed into her. Tentacles grabbed her and lifted her as if she weighed nothing. Stars sprang in front of her eyes as it threw her into a pile of crates, vision swimming. With a screech, it came charging at her and immediately pinned her down. Laura screamed in horror as she struggled to keep that tentacle mouth from biting down on her face, thick ropes of saliva getting all over her arms and chest as it thrashed about. Its flimsy arms and tentacles grabbed at her, slowly starting to over-power her as her strength started to wane. In desperation, Shepard scrambled for the blade on her belt and yanked it out of its holster and slashed wildly.

One of its flimsy arms came flying off in a spray of sickly green blood. It screamed, the sound making her ears ring but it only retreated back for a few seconds before it came back on the attack once more, completely berserk. Shepard only saw a massive blur of red slam into it, sending the two tumbling before she realized it was Wrex. Laura suddenly found herself being pulled up onto her feet and found herself looking at Kaiden.

"Commander! Are you ok?!" He asked, checking her for injuries.

Shepard didn't respond, simply stared blankly as she watched Wrex over-power the beast and end its shrieking with an echoing blast from his shotgun. It was suddenly quiet again and she looked around, noticing the corpses of the other creatures; five in total. Liara approached cautiously as Kaiden helped the woman sit down.

"W-what… what were those things?" She managed to blurt out after finding her voice.

"No idea. Never seen them before." Wrex commented, flicking a piece of flesh off his shoulder.

"Maybe it's something related to why Benezia is here." Liara commented quietly, a very sobering thought.

Once everyone one caught their breath, they continued on. Unfortunately, the railway was out of commission, thanks to the storms and those creatures running rampart. After getting the power and other required systems back online, they were finally able to reach the Peak 15 laboratories.

However, it seemed the place had its own troubles. The Hot Labs were sealed and Benezia had laid a trap for them. It seemed, this was indeed the source of those creatures, a biologically designed army for Saren but something had gone horribly wrong and now most of the workers and guards in Peak 15 had been killed. It became much more than fighting Benezia now… they had to make sure Saren did not get a hold of these beasts else the galaxy would have more to worry about than just an army of geth invading.

Before heading down to the labs, everyone took a few to rest and get their heads on straight… and it provided opportunity for Laura to talk with Liara. She was still worried about the asari's resolve… this was her mother they were about to confront and the likelihood of the situation ending peacefully were dwindling horribly. Liara glanced up at her when the Commander approached, knowing why she was here.

"I'll be fine, Shepard. You don't need to mother me." Liara said a bit tensely, trying to hide the tremors in her hands by crossing them over her chest.

"I… I just came to make sure you're ready. You can stay here if you want." She replied.

"I said I am going. You can't make me change my mind. I need to do this." Liara said adamantly.

Laura didn't say anything further, simply nodded her head and walked away. Liara watched her with concern, having seen the haunted look in her eye. She was barely holding on by a thread and Laura knew if it snapped… it was gonna be a long, long fall and no one would be there to catch her this time. She was certain that this time, it would consume her and there'd be no turning back. She clung desperately to her mission… the only thing keeping her tethered at this point… at least, she thought that's all she had. Thoughts of Liara kept springing to mind, of that conversation they had… of the possibility but no… no, she told herself; it could never be. It SHOULD never be… for Liara's sake.

"Alright team. Let's move out!" Shepard announced, steeling her resolve as she turned to face the entrance to the labs… and the path leading to Benezia.

* * *

The Matriarch was waiting for them, seemingly alone. No… not alone but standing beside a tank with a lone occupant. It looked like the creatures that had attacked them, except about four times that size. The matriarch regarded them coldly as the team took up positions in case of ambush… because Shepard was expecting Benezia to have more troops waiting. Beside her walked Liara, staring at her mother as a torrent of emotions ran through her.

"I see you brought my daughter… though it is of little consequence. You are already too late. Saren has what he needs to find the Conduit." Benezia replied coldly, showing she wasn't armed.

"Mother! How could you do this?!" Liara demanded angrily, voice breaking as she fought back tears.

"This is beyond your understanding, Liara. You are a… disappointment to me. You should have kept your head in the sand."

"Matriarch Benezia! Surrender and there doesn't have to be more bloodshed. Enough people have died because of Saren's madness." Laura called, interrupting the exchange, gun trained on Benezia.

"Fools! You will not leave here alive!" She screamed, body flaring bright with biotics.

Liara dodged by Shepard caught in the stasis field, frozen completely in place as geth and commandos flooded in. Liara threw up a barrier until the stasis field wore off and Laura could duck behind cover. The fight was fierce and though they were out-numbered, Shepard's team slowly pushed back Benezia's forces. Liara, Wrex, and Kaiden worked together to counter the Matriarch's powerful biotic attacks to keep her from crippling the team while they picked off her forces one by one. Soon, it was only Matriarch Benezia left.

"Last chance Benezia!" Shepard called from behind her cover.

"Never! I will destroy you here Commander!" she screamed furiously.

Laura rolled out of the way as her cover was obliterated and dashed right at Benezia, Kaiden and Garrus providing covering fire as she drew in close. However, biotics were not the only skill Matriarch Benezia had. The kick to her gut, even with her armor absorbing it, knocked the wind right out of Shepard's lungs and left her choking for air on all fours. A second kick connected with her jaw and sent her down on her skin, spitting up blood. Laura suddenly found herself lifted in the air by her biotics before the air itself started to feel like it was pressing down on her from all sides. She screamed as the pain steadily increased, barely able to breathe.

"Saren will praise your death and his glorious purpose wil…." Beneza started, only to hesitate for a moment, eyes widening.

Her biotics flared, then flickered before completely dissipating, dropping Shepard on the ground and leaving her gasping for air. Benezia placed a hand over her stomach, a stain of dark blue growing on the fabric. Laura looked up to find Liara standing there, pistol shaking in her hand, tears in her eyes. The weapon dropped from her hand as it sank in what she had done… that she had killed her own mother to protect Laura.

"L-Liara… what… by the Goddess, what have I done?" Benezia gasped as she staggered back into the tank, free-hand braced against the console.

The rest of the team came up on the platform, Kaiden and Ashley helping Shepard to her feet. They all stood there, staring at her in disbelief. Benezia looked confused, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again, blue eyes steely and focused solely on Shepard.

"I… don't have long. I already feel him calling… voice at my ear, claws at my spine, calling to me… Saren was after, nngh… coordinates." Benezia coughed, blood starting to pool under her as she, slowly, pulled a data disk from her clothes.

"Coordinates? For what?" Shepard asked warily.

"A lost mass relay. It… augh… will lead him to the Conduit. He has all the pieces he… augh, needs but… be careful." She continued, breath shuddering.

"Wait, let us patch you up…" Shepard started, reaching for a medi-gel kit.

"NO! I… I am beyond saving. His ship, Sovereign… it makes you believe his words, his purpose… it warps your mind. I thought I could… steer him from his path but I… was ensnared instead." Benezia protested, her breathing getting shallower and her blue skin starting to pale.

Her eyes fell on Liara and a soft smile came to her face, completely different than what she had been a few moments ago. Liara was struggling with the tears in her eyes, the sobs caught in her throat… her chest ached but this was the only outcome to happen. Benezia just kept smiling though.

"Little Wing… I am so proud of you… there's… there is no light… I thought…." Benezia said, her final words followed by a long, soft sigh as she slumped and her eyes fell shut, entire body limp.

A strangled sob escaped Liara and she collapsed onto her hands and knees. The team was there to console her and Shepard wanted to as well, but her eyes spotted the data disk in the Matriarch's hand and she, cautiously, approached to pick it up. As soon as she straightened back up, the creature in the tank moved, pressing its tentacles against the glass. The sound and action startled everyone but the thing was locked inside. Still… they had no idea what it was. None of the survivors at the labs seemed to know what it was called.

"We should report this thing to the Council, have them dispose of it." Kaiden suggested.

"Ya, communications should be…" Laura replied, bringing up her omni-tool only to stop mid-sentence and stare in disbelief.

One of the commando's corpses began to stir, haltingly rising up in an unnatural fashion. Liara's grief was quickly set aside and everyone had their guns on it, except for Shepard. She stared in disturbed amazement as the body limped towards the tank before turning to face them. Her eyes were rolled back in her head and she was shaking. She glanced at the creature in the tank, then at the body.

_This one… serves as our voice. We cannot sing… not in these low spaces. Your music is colorless to us._

"Sing… wait, who is speaking? You in the tank?" Shepard asked, a bit stunned.

_Yes. Your songs are strange… flat. They do not color the air. When we sing, one song moves all. I am the last mother of the children whose song you thought silenced. We are Rachni._

"Rachni?!" Wrex exclaimed, immediately switching his gun's aim to the tank.

"Rachni? Wait… how are you even speaking through her? She's dead." Shepard asked, motioning for Wrex to relax, not that he listened.

_We sing through touching of thoughts… minds. We pluck the strings and the other understands. She is weakening… her song ending. She has colors we have no names for… it is bittersweet and beautiful. _

"But the Rachni were wiped out hundreds of years ago. Where did you come from?" Laura demanded.

_We do not know… only that we floated in darkness until we were birthed here. The others… they stole this our children before they learned to sing. They are lost to the silence… please, end their empty songs. They are beyond saving and will only cause more harm… more destruction._

"There are more? What exactly was going on here?" Shepard questioned, trying to glean as much information as she could to take back to the Council.

_They took our eggs! They sought to turn the children into beasts of war… claws with no songs of their own to sing._

"Without their mother, the young have run rampart. They're probably scared out of their minds." Tali said sadly.

"Like a child who has lost their parents in a crowd." Ashley added a bit sympathetically.

Laura was weighing the exchange in her head. So, Saren had been trying to breed a Rachni army to use but had, utterly, failed… but it seemed, the Rachni, somehow, had coordinates to a mass relay Saren needed but why? If he needed a specific relay to reach the Conduit, then it had to be one that had remained undiscovered by the Council (which was really unlikely) or its location had been moved and subsequently lost over the years. They were a step closer to Saren… to stopping him.

_We stand before you now, song of our fate unsung. Will you release us or… shall we fade into silence once more?_

At first, the question didn't register in her head but Laura realized she was standing in front of the control panel for the tank. She looked at the alien, then up, noticing canisters strapped to it.

"There's enough acid in those things to completely dissolve the Queen. Do it Shepard. The Rachni nearly destroyed the galaxy once before." Wrex growled, most of the team agreeing with her.

"Do you remember anything about the Rachni Wars?" She asked, looking directly at the queen.

_We only know the songs passed on… one of oily shadows and pale, yellow notes. An unnatural song… a dangerous song. It steadily grows louder with the songs of war and bloodshed… it touched the minds of this one and the rest… and it will consume more._

Something about her response made her head ache but also struck a chord deep inside Shepard's mind. This Rachni, stood before her, completely at her mercy… begging. Laura bit her lip, glancing at the panel, then back up at the canisters on the tank. It would be easier for everyone if she killed her… end the Rachni before they could even begin again. Her hand shook as it hovered over the button and then she looked up at the Rachni in the tank. It stared back at her, pleading… waiting. Shepard hesitated for a few more seconds and then out an explosive breath and touched the button.

The tank lifted and the Rachni made a surprised sound, staring at her and moving as if confused and bewildered. The asari suddenly collapsed as the Rachni released her. Once the tank was in position, the door slid open. The Rachni looked it, then back at Shepard.

"Don't make me regret this." She said softly, staring back at her with a weak smile.

The Rachni made a soft sound before scurrying away. She turned to the accusing stare of Wrex and the others.

"How could you let that Rachni go?! Now it'll be the Rachni Wars all over again in the next decade!" Wrex nearly roared.

"Could you punish one for the sins of another, Wrex?" She said wearily, staring him in the face. "She deserved a change to make amends."

"The blood they spill will be on your hands, Shepard." The krogan snarled.

The trip back to the main labs was quiet and uncomfortable. No one really felt like talking, not with Benezia's death hanging over them like a heavy blanket. Tali was hanging close to Liara as they took a moment collect themselves. Shepard, however, had other ideas.

"The rest of you return to the station. I still need to take care of the hot labs." She said.

"Commander, someone should go with you." Kaiden protested, intent on following her.

"Not this time. Too many people means high risk of casualties coming out. I'll get it done… but in worst case scenario, make sure the Council gets this." She replied, handing him the data disk.

Without waiting for further word, Shepard turned and headed for the elevator to the hot labs. It seemed they had come unlocked after the Rachni Queen was released… but Laura didn't care why they were unlocked. She looked down at her gun, checking it idly as the elevator door closed, only to have someone slip in before the doors sealed.

"Liara?! The fuck are you doing?" Shepard burst out when she realized it was the asari who had disobeyed orders and slipped in.

"Keeping you from making a poor decision." Liara reported curtly, pulling her weapon off her bet.

Shepard grimaced, knowing that there was no stopping the elevator nor no point in sending her back up once they reached the labs. She glared at the asari, only to meet a stern look in return. Those damnable stubborn eyes… Liara was gonna get herself killed.

The labs were empty, except for one man sitting at a desk, looking weary. He seemed surprised that someone had come down but he didn't bother getting up. He just sat slumped in his chair, telling them about how controlling the rachni spawn had gone horribly wrong… that they couldn't escape or they'd destroy all of Noveria and spread into the galaxy. That could not happen at any cost. There was a purge sequence set up but before the man could give them the code, a Rachni tore him to pieces as it came lunging through the ducts. Shepard and Liara made quick work of it but it was too late, the man was dead.

"Fuck… please have them..." Shepard muttered as she searched the body.

After a few minutes of going through his pockets, she found the code for the purge sequence. Both hurried to the next room and accessed the VI to initate the sequence. As soon as the machine hummed to life, the screams of countless rachni echoed through the vents and they could hear them skittering in the vents and under the floor, converging on this once place

"Well… fuck. Liara, run." Shepard said, as she finished setting up the purge.

"No! I am not going to leave you here!" Liara protested vehemently.

"That's an order!" Laura yelled at her.

"Fuck your orders!"

That was like a slap to the face for Shepard. Swearing up a storm, she finished getting the purge initiated and input the approval code. The countdown started just as the rachni burst into the room.

**_10…_**

There were dozens crammed into the tiny space, with more trying to force their way in. Shepard threw a grenade, scattering them for a few, precious, seconds.

**_9…_**

"Run!" She screamed at Liara, pushing her forward as she drew her shotgun from the clip on her lower back.

**_8…_**

They sprinted forward, leaping over or shoving past rachni as tentacles and claws tore at them. Shepard could hear her armor being cut through, kinetic barriers offline as the alarm blared on her omni-tool.

**_7…_**

Liara was near the elevator when a rachni tripped her up and she hit the ground, a rachni immediately pouncing on top of her.

**_6…_**

"LIARA!" Shepard shouted when she saw, tearing a rachni's arm off of her as she ran to the asari.

She lunged, shotgun sending the creature flying as Liara scrambled to her feet, pushing herself forward to reach the elevator.

**_5…_**

Liara dove into the elevator and hit the button, only to see Shepard was still only a few feet away. She was caught in a sea of Rachni but as she fought, trying to gain those last few feet before those doors sealed. In the center of the raging sea of Rachni, however, Laura saw the soldiers… the haunting specters of her mind. She barely felt the claw tearing through her armor and cutting into her abdomen, barely missing vital organs.

**_4…_**

_"Take your place…"_

Laura was completely oblivious to everything going on around her as the soldiers reached for her, beckoning her. She was drowning in a pile of flesh and screams and the rachni were tearing into her but she couldn't even feel it.

Release… she was so close to it that none of this mattered anymore. Not the mission, not her comrades… just…

**_3…_**

"LAURA!"

That single voice snapped reality back into focus and Shepard realized she was being yanked free, pulled away from the phantoms and the rachni… from Death's embrace and into the elevator, foot barely avoiding getting caught in the elevator doors as they sealed shut and the elevator rose. She simply lay there, stunned by everything that had just transpired in those few seconds, Liara hovering over her and calling her name.

**_2…_**

"Laura! Please, answer me!" Liara cried desperately, looking into her eyes, seeing the vacant darkness in them. She couldn't have lost her, she couldn't have…

Crimson blood was dripping from several shallow wound were the rachni had cut through her armor or the acid of their spit had eaten deep enough to hit skin. Liara wasn't much better, sporting wound of her own, though fairly minor scratches and bruises. Left with no other choice, she drew her hand back and smacked her. Laura swore as she jumped and sat up, holding her cheek and staring at Liara in bewilderment.

"The fuck was tha…"

**_1…_**

Overcome with relief, Liara threw her arms round Laura and pressed her mouth to the humans soft, pink lips. She could taste the metallic tinge of human blood but she didn't care. The elevator shook as the purge went off, completely cleansing the hot labs. It took another second or two for Laura to register what was going on before, either out of need or reflex or something other reaction, she wrapped her arms around the asari and crushed her against her body as she kissed her back fiercely. All rational thought was wiped from their minds in that moment, focused solely on the feel of tongue and lips, of the exhilaration of looking death in the face and _LIVING_… swept up in a raging storm of grief and comfort and everything else that had accumulated to this point.

When they parted, they were both short of breath and still holding each other. They stared at each other in a mixture of disbelief and surprise at what had just happened. As it all sank in, Laura realized they had just crossed a line she had hoped they would avoid.

"Oh fuck."


	10. Damn Her Eyes

I'm pretty much reworked how the romance between Liara and Shepard works... which is pretty fun. Story's about to have a major shift in atmosphere here soon, so enjoy the sweet fluff for now.

*For those who remember Admiral Kohaku from the first game, you'll know where the next chapter is going.

* * *

"You kissed her or she kissed you?" Tevara asked, a bit startled by the information.

After they had left Noveria, Laura had immediately avoided looking at Liara and hid in her quarters, commanding she not be disturbed by ANYONE unless it was a severe emergency, even if the Council called for a debrief. She was extremely distraught over the kiss in the elevator… not because of the kiss itself but what it had meant. Her heart had not stopped racing, palms shaky and sweaty… she almost felt sick. Not wanting to let anyone on the crew know what happened, she turned to the only person she could think of to help.

"She kissed me… I think. I mean… ya, she kissed me and I… might have kissed her back." Laura replied with a heavy groan.

"I fail to see the problem here, Laura." Tevara replied boredly.

"Dammit Tevara, would you take this seriously?"

"I am. What's the problem, exactly? Do you not like her?" She asked.

"Of course not! Well…. No, it's a strictly professional relationship…" Laura responded stubbornly, glaring at her omni-tool display.

"A hanar can lie better than that. You totally want to get in her pants, I saw it the day you two were in my house… and she definitely wanted to get in yours." Tevara chuckled.

"It's not like that… ok, fuck, maybe it is but I don't know what to do! I mean, I…" Laura stammered, sighing heavily in defeat.

"You're crazy about her. You're still in your prime Laura and Goddess knows when the last time you got laid. Have you talked to her since?" Tevara continued as if lecturing one of her daughters.

"Um… no." Shepard admitted sheepishly.

"Go talk to her about it or you're going to regret it. Go on, do it. I have to get Serah from school. Make sure the door is sound proof if things get a little wild in there." Tevara laughed.

"Fuck you." Shepard growled before hanging up.

However, she didn't immediately go over to the med-bay. She sat on the edge of her bed, trying to think of what she was going to say to Liara… hell, what could she say to the asari? The two of them had kissed on the elevator, but it hadn't been just a simple press of the lips. A pleasant shiver ran up her spine as she recalled the way Liara's mouth moved against her own, the touch of the tongue speaking volumes of Liara's inexperience but eagerness…

"Dammit, don't think about it. I'll just explain it was just the result of the adrenaline or some shit… just gotta make it sound convincing. Fuck, what am I doing?" She lamented to herself, running her fingers through her hair.

After going over a dozen scenarios in her head, Laura decided to just suck it up and go talk to her and deal with it as it went. She left her quarters and noticed no one was really about. She checked the time on her omni-tool and realized it was quite late. Most of the crew was asleep aside from the essentials on rounds. It crossed her mind that Liara was, probably, asleep and wouldn't want to be disturbed but she cringed at the thought of Tevara chewing her ear out if she backed out of it now.

* * *

Dr. Chakwas wasn't in the med-bay when Shepard entered but Liara was there, apparently tidying up some of the equipment. Her face lit up when she saw the Commander but she quickly masked the expression. She was still feeling very confused about what had happened in Noveria. That kiss… it had felt so right but Laura had practically sealed herself in her room once they got back to the ship. Maybe she had judged wrong… but then, she wasn't a very good judge of character to begin with.

"L- Dr. T'Soni." Shepard said nervously, clearing her throat.

"Shepard. How… are your injuries?" She asked, remembering that Dr. Chakwas had gone to her quarters to patch her up.

"I'll be fine. Nothing too serious… just have to take it easy on the stitches. How, um… are you holding up?" Laura answered, trying to avoid the reason she was here for as long as possible.

"Losing my mother still… stings but I'll be ok, thank you. I… actually wanted to talk to you, if you have a moment."

'Oh shit, here we go.' Shepard thought, blushing a bit. "Umm, sure."

"Thank you… though, I'd prefer somewhere more, private." Liara said, glancing back the storage room where she was quartered.

Laura followed her, flinching slightly when the door shut behind her. There was no escape now, it was about to all come out in the open and she wasn't sure how to deal with it. It hung in the air between them, Liara struggling to find the right words. She couldn't get the moment out of her head and it made her giddy each time she reflected on it. Now, being in the same room as the Commander made her squirm and her mouth feel dry.

"About what happened in the…"

"I'm in love with you Liara!" Laura blurted out, interrupting her.

There was a stunned silence between them; Liara staring at Shepard as if she had grown a second head and Laura's face so red, she almost matched the hair on her head. Laura immediately clapped her hands over her mouth.

"Oh my god, I didn't mean…I mean I meant… oh fuck…" Laura stammered, realizing that it was now out in the open.

"Y-you… really feel that way?" Liara asked in a soft voice, taking a few steps towards her.

"I… fuck, I can't keep hiding it. Liara I… I've grown very fond of you since you boarded this ship. At first, I thought it was because we melded… I was still convinced that what it was after we had that other conversation. But after Noveria…"

While she spoke, Laura had her eyes adverted, so she didn't realize Liara was still approaching her until she felt the asari's fingertips touch the scarring on her cheek. Her words faltered as she looked into the asari's eyes… her damnable clear blue eyes that just made her stomach do flips and her knees want to give out. Her green eyes flitted to the asari's blue lips, thinking of how they felt and how that kiss had made her feel so… _ALIVE_.

"This is such a horrible idea…" Shepard said, voice husky.

"Why? I'm not afraid Laura. I've seen what you suffer through… I've felt who you are, even if it's been the briefest of glances but I know I am not afraid and I have never been surer of anything than being with you." Liara replied warmly, stroking the smooth flesh of Laura's scar.

"Liara, I am a soldier and duty always comes first. Besides, a girl like you would be much better off with someone more stable and doesn't spend their life getting shot at." Laura retorted.

"You're making excuses." The asari accused, a bit confused by the human's behavior.

"I am because… I am scared. When I was at the bottom of the barrel, I was a horrible person. I used people… hell, part of my job is using people to get to the objective. It's not just the nightmares and terrors I… I'm scared of hurting you and people would use you to get to me, use in ways that would be horrible." Shepard said with a sigh, hanging her head.

Liara wasn't sure how to respond. Sure, she didn't know everything about the Commander but to her, that didn't matter. All she cared about was the burdened woman in front of her, vulnerable to her and only her. The asari smiled and leaned up and pressed her lips gently to Laura's before pulling away. The action stunned her and the human's jaw went slack, green eyes wide in bewilderment.

"I want you… I mean, to be with you, Laura." Liara said, quickly correcting herself even as she blushed.

"I'm telling you, this is a horrible idea Liara." Laura said, voice betraying a completely different thought going on in her head.

"Are you really that adverse to it Shepard?" the asari asked, now starting to get discouraged with how much Shepard was resisting.

"No… I just… fuck I don't know. This is all so sudden and I'm just trying to process and think…" Shepard started to explain, only to be silenced by another kiss.

This time, Liara was slow to back away, hoping and praying to the Goddess Laura would return the gesture… confirm her feelings. Laura struggled with it for a moment but decided to throw caution out the window and kissed her back. They stood there in each other's embrace, slowly exploring each other and only parting for a quick gulp of breath. Liara wasn't sure what to do at this stage but she shivered as she felt Laura star to take control of the situation, one hand sliding down to her lower back and pushing her closer so their hips were pressed together closely. She could feel heat rushing down to her legs, a sensation she was rather unfamiliar with.

"Hey Liara, how are youuu…. Whoa!" Ashley said, having entered the room and halting only when saw the scene before her.

Laura immediately sprang back, face a bright crimson color and Liara was blushing as well. Ashley was grinning like a fool at not having just caught two people making out, but the Commander of all people. Laura noticed her smug look and glared at her heatedly.

"Don't you DARE tell anyone about this Williams." She threatened.

"Oh, I think I have a bargaining chip here, Commander… though I'm more interested in the fact I won the betting pool." She laughed in reply.

"Betting? Wait, what?!" Laura asked in horror.

"Come on, everyone on this ship knew the two of you have been ogling each other since Liara boarded the ship. It was just a friendly bet to see how long it took before you two hooked up. I had three months." Ashley replied, looking triumphant.

"I'm going to chuck all of you out the air lock." Shepard growled, only stopping when Liara placed a hand, gently, on her arm.

"It's ok Laura." Liara said, blushing still.

Laura sighed and told Ashley to go away, knowing that it was gonna spread around the ship as soon as Ashley opened her mouth. She hadn't really expected to hide this from people but it was still so… new, she wasn't even sure if this was really a relationship yet.

"So, um… ya… anyway, I… also wanted to say I'm sorry about your mother." Laura said, deciding to immediately change the subject so she could cool off.

"I know you tried… and that's all that matters. Whatever Saren did to her… well, I choose to remember as she was; a kind, beautiful woman who loved me, despite our differences. I am glad I got to see her one last time." Liara sad a bit sadly, the mood shifting.

She leaned against Laura, head resting on the woman's shoulder and listening to her gentle heartbeat. Laura swallowed and wrapped an arm around Liara's shoulder to comfort her. It reminded her of events where she had to kill those she thought were close but had been traitors. She held the asari close and in those quiet moments to themselves, she didn't care if the whole crew walked in on them right now. However…

"Commander, hopefully I'm not interrupting but the Council is insisting on having a debriefing with you in the CIC room." Joker called over the ship's intercom system.

"Understood. I'll be there in a minute." She replied with a sigh.

"Oh, no hurry Commander. Take all the time you need." Joker replied suggestively, the laugh resonating in the tone of his voice.

Laura groaned and cursed in annoyance, word having already reached Joker was a bad sign. Now the whole ship would know. Liara chuckled and squeezed her, giving Laura a peck on the cheek.

"You should get to your meet. Can't keep the Council waiting." She chided teasingly.

"Oh, I could if I felt like it… but you have a point." Shepard snorted as she headed for the door.

Before leaving, Laura paused to look back at the asari. Liara had gone back to sit at her desk but she glanced back over at the Commander, blushing a little in response.

"So um… Liara. If we're ever back on the Citadel would you, uh… like to go on a date?" Shepard asked.

"A date?" the asari responded in confusion.

"It's a … courting ritual I suppose. I take you to dinner, maybe a movie after and we get to know each other a bit… that kinda of thing." Shepard replied.

"Sounds… like fun. I'd be happy to." Liara replied with a large, happy smile.

Shepard blushed and simply nodded and quickly left. When the door shut behind her, she stood there. She was still trying to process everything that had just happened. She wasn't even paying attention to the Council as she was giving her report. There was a pep to her step and a smile tugging on her mouth… a feeling she hadn't felt for a very long time. She didn't even care about the comments the crew gave as she walked onto the bridge, this felt too good. A date… something to look forward to. But that feeling would only last for so long…

"Commander, Admiral Kohaku is hailing us with an urgent request."


	11. Terror Reborn

And... tragedy and fluffiness mixed together. Mostly more side story stuff involving the side mission for Admiral Kohoku. I was actually kinda surprised they didn't play more on it for Shepards with the Survivor background... since the two incidents are related.

Anyway, continued thanks for the reviews and favs and hope to see more.

* * *

"Signal's definitely coming from Edolus, Commander. You think something happened down there?" Joker asked as he looked at the monitors in front of him.

"Seems to be a standard Alliance distress beacon… but do a broad sweep anyway to make sure someone isn't hanging around. I'd rather not stumble into an ambush." Shepard replied, looking at the display with scrutiny.

"Will do. I'll send a copy of the signal to Tali. She might catch something our instruments may not. Are you still gonna go down there?"

She didn't reply, which was a pretty standard signal for 'yes' to Joker. Ever sense they got that message, the entire crew had noticed Laura was becoming quite tense and paranoid. She headed for the cargo bay, ignoring the salutes and greetings she got from everyone she passed by. When the elevator dropped her off, she found everyone waiting around, completely suited up.

"Joker able to find anything, Commander?" Kaiden asked.

Once word had gotten out that Laura and Liara were 'snogging' in the med-bay, Kaiden had become very… platonic, not that Laura minded it all that much. It was actually a relief, since she didn't have to deal with his not so subtle flirting during their conversations. He looked a bit upset that he had lost out to Liara but he seemed better focused on the task at hand now instead of pursuing Shepard's affections.

"No one's responding to our hails, so assume the worst, hope for the best right now. Our priority is to gather intel on the fate of the recon team and rescue survivors, if any." Shepard replied in announcement, looking everyone over.

"What were they reconning?" Garrus asked in curiosity.

"No idea yet. Hopefully we'll figure that out. We'll be doing a drop in the MAKO about ten klicks from the signal's origin."

There was a collective groan at the news of doing a drop in the MAKO, everyone knowing that Shepard was going to drive. She huffed at them, a little embarrassed they were so disapproving of her driving skills. She wasn't THAT bad… just the MAKO's handling was shit. Everyone reluctantly got into the vehicle and buckled in. Once Joker gave the all clear for the drop, the MAKO rolled out of the cargo bay and into free-fall. Luckily, the landing wasn't as jarring as it usually was… much to everyone else's relief.

Shepard stopped the MAKO at the top of the ridge and asked Garrus to get into the gunner seat and do a sweep of the area. She could make out the beacon and a MK sitting out in the middle of a massive flat land but no signs of life… a fact the turian confirmed for her. Once he gave the all clear, Laura set the vehicle in motion again and brought them down closer. Once they were by the tank, everyone got out and secured the perimeter before starting their search.

"Looks like the team's dead… and been dead for a while. There's barely anything left." Ashley commented sadly after investigating one of the corpses lying in the dirt.

"What the hell happened here? None of this damage looks like it was by any weapon I've ever seen." Garrus commented as he and Wrex were inspecting the tank.

Laura came around to see what they were looking at and saw the severe damage to the tank's plating. There were burns that had eaten their way down to the interior but most of it had left the side pitted pretty badly. There were also large rips along the side… like something had torn into it. Something felt eerily familiar about these damage patterns to Laura but she shook it off... not wanting to think about.

"Commander!" Tali called, hovering near the beacon with her omni-tool out.

"Find something Tali?" Shepard replied as she walked over to the quarian.

"Ya… a second signal started broadcasting a few seconds ago. It's a low frequency and doesn't seem to be targeted at anything specific…"

_"There's a second low frequency being played. I can't tell where it's coming from but its somewhere in the colony."_

The beacon suddenly burst in a shower of sparks, Tali swearing as she ducked out of the way. Shepard had her shotgun out, unloading the weapon until it overheated and left the beacon in an inoperable mess.

"Keelah! The hell was that for, Shepard?!" Tali demanded in panic.

Liara and the others congregated around and the asari was the first to notice that Shepard was shaking and nearly all of the color in her face gone. Something had set her off… something bad. Laura struggled to get her throat working again as her chest tightened, barely able to breathe.

"Commander?" Kaiden asked, gingerly touching her shoulder to get her attention.

"H-hail the Normandy… now! Immediate evac…" She said in a choked voice.

"What's going on?" Ashley asked, everyone now starting to pick up on Shepard's paralyzed behavior.

Laura suddenly snapped back when the ground gave a small shake, something only Wrex seemed to take notice of. The flashbacks were making it hard to concentrate; one second she was staring at her team, the next she was back on Akuze, standing amongst the corpses of her decimated team. It was all too much… the fear and panic had a hold of her and it refused to let go.

"A-akuze…" Was all she managed to mutter, pupils dilated far enough where her irises were barely visible.

"Oh no… everyone to the MAKO! We're in severe danger here!" Liara announced, suddenly realizing what was going on.

The ground gave a violent shake, rumbling louder and louder until it suddenly exploded a few dozen meters from them. A Thresher Maw came howling out, pointed arms digging into the ground to support its massive body. Laura took one look at it and everything came back, the barriers and years of therapy and medication broken. The rest of the team wasn't even aware she bolted as they immediately ran for any cover they could find. Wrex, on the other hand, called for someone to help him with the MAKO, a call Ashley answered and followed after the hulking alien.

"Ground team to Normandy! Dammit Joker, respond!" Kaiden called, ducked behind the tank along with Garrus, Tali, and Liara."

"What's going on down there?" Joker asked in response.

"We've got a Thresher Maw on us! We need support and prep for evac fast!" Kaiden shouted as the creature screamed again, obviously searching for them.

Liara peeked out from around the tank when she heard the MAKO roaring to life, wheels kicking up a fierce spray of dirt as it gunned away from the Thresher Maw, guns opening fire on the beast. It screeched, turning its attention to the MAKO before giving chase by burrowing into the ground. Liara had looked into these creatures, but none of the information had prepared her for just how massive that beast was. Picturing three of those monsters attacking all at once…

"Commander? Where's Shepard?!" Kaiden shouted, realizing that she wasn't with them.

The three of them broke cover and searched for her, Tali finding Shepard cowering under the wreckage of the distress beacon. She was curled up, hands clapped over her ears and shaking quite visibly. It was actually quite… pitiful. With Kaiden's help, he and Liara got her to her feet. Her eyes were vacant and she was only mumbling to herself. Tali got a hold of Wrex and Ashley, who were racing around the area in the MAKO, keeping the Thresher Maw drawn away and trying to kill the thing at the same time. They got Shepard behind the MK tank again and Liara tried to snap her out of it.

"Shepard… Shepard I'm right here." She said, grabbing the woman's hand and squeezing, hoping she felt the contact through her gloves. "Come back to me, please." She pleaded.

There was a slight response; a shift in her breathing, her eyes suddenly looking up. Liara gave her a small smile and stroked her fingers through the human's hair. Laura's eyes were full of fear and vulnerability. She jumped and clung to the asari when the Normandy swooped in, cannons ripping into the ground as it opened fire on the Thresher Maw. The beast howled and quickly burrowed underground in retreat, deciding the effort wasn't worth it. Once Tali confirmed the beast's signature was gone, the MAKO rolled back to the camp and the Normandy landed to get everyone loaded on. Thankfully, everyone was safe but not everyone left the encounter unphased.

* * *

Laura sat in the shower, cold water beating down on bare skin, underwear and sports bra soaked through, hair clinging to her neck and shoulders, pill bottle in her hand. The encounter with the Thresher Maw had left her stripped off all her defenses… and what made it worse is she knew everyone on the ship had seen it. Being that exposed compounded on the other feelings of despair, fear, and panic she was drowning in. When she looked up, she saw one of the soldiers who constantly haunted her… armor crushed and split open. She knew who it was… she knew the names of every ghost and mangled spectre that followed her. Private Tyler Collins, crushed when the building they were hiding in collapsed. His dying breaths were spent asking… begging for help as she ran like a coward, turning her back on him.

_"Help me…"_

"Leave me alone!" She screamed, throwing the pill bottle, only to have it hit the wall behind the hallucination, since it wasn't really there in the first place.

"It almost happened again… you're fucking useless." She grumbled to herself.

Laura sat there for a long time, until her skin was clammy and she was barely able to stay awake. She didn't want to fall asleep but she was exhausted… eventually sleep claimed her. Luckily, she wasn't left there long. Liara had worried about the Commander and had come looking for her. When she found the woman slumped in the shower, completely soaked and shaking, she immediately grabbed the towel and shut the shower off, covering Shepard up.

"Laura? Laura!" Liara said, trying to shake her away.

It took a few seconds for Laura's eyes to flutter open but she jumped a little when she saw Liara… only to be followed by a loud sneeze. She suddenly realized she felt extremely cold and a bit sick and there was no strength in her legs as she tried to stand.

"Here, let me help." Liara offered.

The asari helped Shepard up to her feet, Laura tightening the towel around her. Her clothes were hanging up across the way but her underwear were completely soaked through, so she mumbled something about going back to her quarters to change. Liara just nodded and followed her. Luckily, most of the crew on this floor was asleep or dealing with duties elsewhere, so getting Laura to her quarters was easy. Once the human was safely in her personal space, Liara thought to leave… only to see Shepard struggling to get her soaked clothes off, obviously shaking really bad.

"Shepard… would you like some help?" She asked in a soft voice.

"Huh? Oh… um… no, I'll be ok. I just need to warm up a little. Could… you get me a coffee?" She replied in a shaky, hoarse voice.

Liara immediately hurried out of Shepard's quarters and to the little area of the mess hall that served as the 'kitchen'. She had no idea how Laura took her coffe and simply made a cup and brought along a couple creamers and packs of sugar. When she returned, Laura was slumped in one of the two chairs by the table in her room, looking to be half asleep and towel still wrapped around her. She started a little when Liara set the cup of coffee down in front of her.

"I… wasn't sure if you liked creamer or sugar so I brought both. Careful it's quite… hot." Liara said, only staring as Laura gulped down half the mug in one breath.

"You're right, that was hot." She gasped, wincing as her tongue, mouth, and throat burned a bit.

"Ah… um, where is your medication?" Liara asked, noticing she didn't see the bottle and figured Shepard would need to take it.

"What's the point? It's stopped working… it always stops working." Shepard sighed, leaning her head back and pinching the bridge of her nose, head throbbing painfully.

"Laura, you stil…"

"What would you know?!" Shepard snapped at her.

Liara shrank back from her, startled by the outburst. Laura realized what she had done and shrunk away, pulling the towel tighter around her. There as a ringing in her ears, screaming… screaming at herself as she struggled to hold onto the last scraps of confidence before they vanished. She sighed heavily and gave the asari a defeated look.

"I… I'm sorry Liara. I didn't mean that, I just… I can't deal with this anymore." She said cradling her head in her hands and groaning.

"Let me help you." Liara replied, quickly approaching her and place a hand on Shepard's shoulder.

"You can't…" Shepard said, throat starting to lock up as she fought back frustrated tears.

If it had been anyone else, Liara was certain she would have left alone and turned away, gone back to her studies or something to help her forget but this was Laura. This powerful woman who saved her from the jaws of death, sitting before her nearly naked and completely exposed… emotionally anyway. The asari wasn't trying to think about the Commander's body, since she had caught glimpse of it in the shower. Lean, toned muscle, pale cream skin… Liara had to quash that train of thought before it made this situation inappropriately awkward. She moved her hand and, gently, ran it through Laura's hair, remembering how it had pleased her the first time she had done it.

At first, Laura didn't respond to the action but as Liara kept doing it, following the contour of her skull down to her neck before starting over at the top, a small hum left the Commander's throat and the tension in her shoulders and back started to relax. Liara had done a little research into humans after their adrenaline-induced kiss on Noveria. They apparently relied heavily on physical contact and such actions such as stroking of hair, neck, or back could be quite calming. Liara, personally, was enjoying it because it allowed her to study the Commander's hair in more detail. It seemed to stick together in thick clumps when wet but was still silky to the touch. She noted that it had grown an inch or so since they met on Therum and it wasn't just one solid color. Some of the strands were dark brown and there was the occasional and rare blonde hair, which was really puzzling. Laura was now slumped forward over the table and leaving her back completely exposed.

Liara decided to be a little more daring and let her hand trail free from Laura's hair and down the back of her neck. Much to her surprise, she found the human's skin to be very soft and had an odd texture to it. It took a moment or so for her to realize that her pale skin was covered in near-invisible follicles of hair. The gasp Liara made startled Laura into sitting up, shoulders pushing the asari's hand away.

"Something wrong?" Laura asked in concern, reaching behind her.

"N-no! I just… didn't realize humans were completely covered in hair. I mean… I never noticed it before until I… well… um… my research suggested humans shave and…" Liara stammered as she became horribly embarrassed.

Laura stared at her for a moment, then she suddenly burst out laughing. A genuine, full-hearted laugh that had her crossing her arms over her stomach and rocking back and forth as she struggled to breathe and sneeze at the same time. Liara just stood there, a bit confused because she had never seen the Commander… laugh. It was truly a bizarre and interesting experience and it took a few minutes for Shepard to calm down enough where Liara could speak.

"Did… I say something funny?" She asked.

"God, I think I know why I fell in love with you, Liara. I'm sorry I laughed but that was just so… fucking adorable…" Laura replied, a wide smile still plastered on her face.

That single moment, with Liara growing excited over some new observation, even something as mundane as small hairs on a human… it made everything feel a little brighter and innocent. She took Liara's hand in her own, glad the asari hadn't put on her gloves yet. She pressed a kiss to her wrist before pulling the asari to her and hugging her, head resting against Liara's stomach. Touched by the gesture, Liara smiled and relaxed, glad she wasn't being made fun of. She started running her fingers through Laura's hair again. The moment, however, was quickly ruined when Shepard started to sneeze and shake again.

"You should get out of those wet clothes before you get sick." Liara commented, gesturing at Shepard's still-soaked undergarments.

"Right." Shepard replied, immediately dropping the towel as she stood and walked over to her dresser to pull out some comfortable clothes.

Laura was about to pull off her soaked bra when she realized Liara was in the room still and hesitated. She was used to changing in front of other people due to lack of privacy in locker rooms and such but this was… different. Liara was someone who held her affections and desires and well… part of Shepard hoped to be in a situation with the asari where that lab coat would be on the floor and Liara (hopefully) would want her uniform down there with it but right now… this felt kind of awkward for the both of them.

"I… um, should probably go." Liara said hastily, though she couldn't stop from ogling.

"Um… you don't have to but um… ah… I left my meds in the showers if you, feel like you need to step out right now." Shepard replied in a similarly embarrassed tone.

Liara hurriedly left to fetch Shepard's meds, part of her relieved to be out of the situation and another part of her a little disappointed. She found the pill bottle across from the shower Shepard had been in earlier. Luckily, it was still sealed so she didn't have to hunt around for the pills. By the time she got back, Shepard was already dressed in a pair of tight briefs and a tank top that stopped above her belly button. She handed Laura the bottle but Shepard hesitated. She stared at the item for a long time, grinding her teeth and tensing up… something Liara noticed.

"You should take them." She urged worriedly.

"I know but… I just… I want free from this nightmare. I feel like I shouldn't have survived Akuze; that it's wrong of me to keep living." Laura replied, sighing heavily.

"Shepard…" Liara started softly but stopped when Shepard turned and twisted her arm, showing her a series of faded marking on her right fore-arm.

After Liara got a good look, she lifted her shirt slightly, revealing faded scars mixed in with her burn scars, some distinct bullet wounds, other looking like cuts. It took a moment to realize that the scarring Laura had just showed her… some were self-harm scars, others looked like from violent encounters. A sudden sadness welled up in the asari's heart and she had to fight back tears.

"The rehabilitation, the recovery, the hours of medication and therapy don't make it any less painful to live. All this time… I couldn't do it myself. I even put a gun in my mouth but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I got reckless, hoped someone would just end up shooting me or stabbing me in some back alley… something to give me some decorum of honor after Akuze… free me from this nightmare." She continued, glancing at the meds in her hand.

"I had nothing… until you." Laura said, her words getting Liara's astonished attention.

"W-what?"

"I always thought relationships were arbitrary, pointless. I've manipulated people's affections to get close to a target or gather intel. My line of work is… lonely. Even after everything, I just kept using people but…" Laura continued, setting the bottle on the table and approaching Liara.

"You could have died out there… because of me." She said, her voice soft as she cupped Liara's cheek with one hand, the other resting on the asari's hip.

"But we got out." Liara replied, nuzzling into the human's hand gently.

"I should have been in control… I have to be in control or Saren wins. I know now that I have to keep fighting… fighting my own demons. Knowing that another fuck-up on my end could take you and the rest of the team from me… that would destroy me for good."

They stared at each other, Laura's eyes completely vulnerable, her emotions laid bare. She had never thought she'd ever do this for someone but Liara… she had no words to describe the feelings the asari brought forth in her. Liara smiled at her and reached up to, gently, touch the scarring on Laura's face. Unlike the rest of her unmarred skin, it was completely smooth. Her eyes closed for a moment, relishing in the asari's touch. For once, the voices, hallowed screams, and twisted visions were fading into the background. All she could focus on at this moment was what her heart wanted, right in front of her.

"Thank you Liara." She said, leaning in and giving the asari a shy but appreciative kiss.

"Um… you're welcome? Why are you thanking me, Shepard?" Liara asked, confused as she tried to take in all that Shepard had just laid out.

"For being you… and listening. I haven't spoken that… openly about what's going on for a long time. It feels good, in a way."

"I see. Well, then I'm glad I could help you in some manner, Laura." Liara replied in relief.

A silence fell upon them, one filled with unspoken desire and awkwardness. She hadn't seen this much exposed skin on Shepard before and it was… distracting. The shirt accented the swell and curve of her breasts, which were surprisingly a little larger than her armor indicated. Though she wasn't very muscular, Laura's lean body was well defined. Allowing herself to focus and feel her own desires was an unfamiliar sensation… something Laura hadn't done since her years at the academy. The atmosphere slowly got heavier and heavier and both felt like they could barely breathe.

"I… should let you rest. I have… Prothean things to do… that kinda thing." Liara said, finally breaking the palpable sexual tension between them.

"O-of course. Can't keep you from your Prothean… things." Laura said, blinking her eyes as if she had been snapped awake from a spell.

"But then… it could always wait a few more minutes…"

"I thought you said I needed rest?" Shepard teased, smirking.

"Right! You need to take your meds and get your rest after such a horrible ordeal." Liara rationalized, blushing.

Laura chuckled softly as she pulled the asari to her and kissed her. Liara hummed warmly at the sensation and reciprocated the action until they were both breathless. She couldn't help but smile as they pulled back a little to gaze at each other again.

"Please, be patient with me Liara. It will take… time to get used to this whole relationship thing." Laura said, running her fingers along Liara's throat.

"Of course. Are we still… on for that date you promised?" She replied warmly, enjoying the touch.

"As soon as we dock on the Citadel again."


	12. The Coming Storm

Virmire, oh Virmire... probably my most hated location in Mass Effect just cause of how tough it was... and keeping Wrex from dying. I still think the game needed an option to punch Ashley for shooting Wrex but oh well.

Anyway, on to the story... I apologize if some of the scene jumps are a little jarring.

* * *

"So what can I do for the esteemed members of the Council today?" Laura drawled sarcastically as she stood in the CIC room.

"Your sarcasm is dully noted and ignored, Shepard." Sparatus commented sourly.

"Let's not get side tracked here. We may have a lead on Saren's location, Commander." Tevos interrupted before Shepard could open her mouth.

"Yes… an STG unit was sent to Virmire to investigate a possible base of operations for Saren. Recently, we received a distress call on a secure channel… however the message was mangled and no useful information could be gleaned from it." Council Valern continued.

"So… you want us to go in blind as bats and figure out if the STG team found anything?" Shepard retorted, rolling her eyes.

"The team could have essential information on Saren, else they would not have attempted to contact us through the secure line." Valern argued.

"Alright, alright. I get it… but let's say Saren is there. He'll have defenses…. Along with a fuckton of geth." Laura stated.

"A… fuckton?" Tevos asked quizzically.

"It's a human term for 'way more than we're equipped to handle.' I'll get my team ready but I'd like to put in on the record that I think this is an extremely risky endeavor."

"Your team was designed for stealth, Commander. This should be no problem." Sparatus remarked snidely.

"I take it you've never run a stealth ops in your life. I'm extremely cautious because we're going in without information. A lot of things can go wrong. I'll do what I can to locate the STG team and extract whatever intel they might have dug up… and extract the team if it's possible. No promises." Laura replied, out-right ignoring the turian councilor.

"We look forward to your report." Tevos replied before the call was cut.

Laura rolled her eyes and sighed, leaving the CIC room and walking onto the bridge. Everyone was at their usual stations as she walked onto the platform to use the galaxy map. She pulled up Virmire… quite a distance from where they were currently stationed. It would take some time to reach it, plus they'd have to make at least two refueling stops.

"Joker, can you have the team assemble in the CIC room for a debriefing in five." Laura called, hailing Joker on the communication line.

"Aye Commander… though you couldn't walk the twenty feet or so to the cockpit to tell me that?" He jested.

"I'm feeling lazy. Let me know when we enter the Hoc system." Laura replied, rolling her eyes before turning on her heel and heading back to the CIC room.

Within five minutes, the whole team assembled and Laura relayed what little the Council had told her about the situation on Virmire. If Saren was indeed on the planet, they were going to have to be extremely cautious. Shiala and Benezia's warnings about Saren's flagship, Sovereign, bothered her a great deal. If the ship could brainwash people, then they'd all be at risk if the ship was anywhere near by.

"So… this STG team might have intel or this might be a trap?" Garrus pressed.

"Councilor Valern seemed pretty confident it was the STG team that sent the message. The Alliance has similar back up lines for Infiltrators to use in case they are compromised. My big problem with this assignment is that we are going in completely blind… on Saren's home turf. We'll be at a severe disadvantage with very little escape options." She replied sourly.

"What is the plan then, Commander?" Kaiden asked.

"Luckily, the message did come with coordinates so we know where on Virmire the STG team is located. We don't know what kind of defense systems Saren has on his base so, we're assuming he can shoot the Normandy out of the sky. It'll be recon drop in the MAKO… and don't give me shit about my driving skills." Laura replied, cutting any ideas of protest before anyone could say anything.

"Objectives?" Ashley piped up.

"Find the STG team and whatever intel they've gathered. If we can confirm Saren is on Virmire… we will attempt infiltration and disable his base of operations… and hopefully get Saren himself but if his ship is also there, apprehending Saren will be arbitrary." Laura replied, bringing up a display on the CIC panel.

After going over plans, she dismissed the team and went to her locker in the mess hall. Checked on her weaponry but it was all in good shape… she was just nervous. Laura was used to doing stealth ops like these on her own or with maybe another person tagging along but not with a whole team. She was terrified that she'd have repeat of Akuze; a fear she had carried with her for years.

Laura needed to distract herself and went down to the cargo hold and spotted Wrex. He had an ancient set of armor sitting out, staring at it with, what she was assumed, was mild interest or contempt… it was difficult to tell what the krogan was thinking. He noticed Shepard coming out of the corner of his eye and turned to greet her in his usual manner.

"Shepard."

"Wrex. Got a minute to talk or you want some more alone time with your family heirloom?" Laura replied in jest.

"Ha. What do you want now, Shepard?" The krogan returned, giving her his full attention.

"I never asked… how'd you get those scars?" She asked, pointing at his face.

"Same way you did." He grinned.

"Huh?"

"When krogans come of age, we go through a rite of passage on Tuchunka, to prove that we are worth of clan and blood. We are pitted against the world itself. I fought a Thresher Maw and killed it, but not before it took a few chunks out of my face." He said proudly.

"You… fought one on foot? Jesus fucking Christ Wrex. Your species is insane." Shepard replied in disbelief, unable to picture just how a single krogan took down such a monstrous, violent creature.

"I take it you asked me about these scars for a reason." Wrex cut in, getting right to the heart of the conversation.

"Ya… you faced that thing without a second thought and I just… I ran and hid, to be blunt." She sighed.

Wrex studied the Commander for a moment. Humans were such odd creatures to him; soft, squishy but rather difficult to kill. This woman was a curiosity all her own and her interest in his people had made him think about his own stance on things… and what he would do in the future.

"Your reaction is natural, Shepard and doesn't make you a coward but you're also no longer the female I first met on the Citadel." He said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Not the same? I can't have changed that much." Shepard said a bit crossly.

"Until that asari got aboard, you were dangerous. Someone who had nothing to live for and nothing to lose. Now… you're even more dangerous because Liara's given you a reason to fight down to the last breath. Saren better watch out now that we've got his trail." Wrex told her, grinning.

"Thanks… I think. Have you thought about what you're going to do after this over, Wrex?" Shepard asked, deciding to take it as a compliment for now.

"Maybe hang around for a little longer… see what happens. Then, I'll probably go back to Tuchunka, maybe try to get the krogan back on track before we kill ourselves. You've given me a lot to think about."

Their conversation tapered off to talking a little more about Saren and the upcoming mission. She was glad to know that Wrex, along with the others, had her back even in times she loses control. Wrex told her a few more stories about his younger years to lighten the mood a bit. Eventually, Shepard found she needed to get herself something to eat.

"Shepard." Wrex said, stopping her mid-stride.

"Wrex?"

"You'll conquer it one day. Even a Thresher Maw dies. Maybe we should go hunting on Tuchunka after this Saren business is over." He said, flashing her a very sadistic looking grin… but then, all of his smiles seemed sadistic.

"Uh… I'll think about it Wrex." Shepard said, a bit unnerved by the idea of actually hunting a Thresher Maw.

* * *

"I think this is the last gate Commander. The STG team's signal is getting closer." Tali announced as they headed back down to the MAKO after lifting the gate barring their way.

The drop onto Virmire when fairly smooth, but their path through the winding beaches and rocks had been slowed by a series of gates guarded by the geth. Shepard was fairly certain this was a safety measure on Saren's part but it still slowed their progress, since these 'checkpoints' were heavily guarded.

"Alright. Once we find the source of the signal, we'll bring the Normandy in." Shepard announced as they all got into the MAKO.

The rest of the drive was uneventful, thankfully. Everyone was already feeling tired from fighting their way through and they had a long way to go. Much to everyone's surprise, a minor relief, they found the STG squad was alive and had a temporary base of operations set up. However, the salarians weren't all that impressed at seeing them, especially when the Normandy swooped in. Saren's defenses had detected the ship's arrival and now every AA gun Saren had was ready to blow it out of the sky so… now they were stranded.

"Are you all the Council sent?" Kirrahe, the commander of the unit, said in dismay.

"The Council sent us to investigate after we received your message." Shepard replied, a bit annoyed by his tone of voice.

"That is a redundant action. We needed reinforcements, a fleet… not another investigation team." He huffed, just as annoyed as she was.

They argued a bit but once Kirrahe realized that their message had been badly damaged, the misunderstanding was set aside and a plan of action was discussed. Kirrahe told Shepard that Saren was indeed set up on Virmire but he didn't have just an army of geth or that massive ship at his command. Saren was using the facility to breed his own army of krogan. Kirrahe suspected he must have found some way to cure or circumvent the genophage… which was a danger all of its own. Wrex seemed suddenly interested in the conversation until the salarian brought up plans to completely destroy the facility.

"No! There could be a cure for my people in there!" Wrex protested loudly, startling several of Kirrahe's men and some of the squad.

"Wrex… not now." Shepard said sternly, only to have the krogan ignore her and storm off.

Kirrahe finished up, discussing the bomb and the materials he would need. They were, literally, going to have to drop off a nuke in the center of Saren's base to destroy it… but first, they'd have to disable the AA guns so the Normandy could move the bomb. It would take time to build the device, so she had Kaiden and Tali help Kirrahe's men while she went to check on Wrex. Ashley pointed her in the direction of a nearby lake, where she could hear gunfire. Wrex was pissed.

"This isn't right Shepard. If Saren's found a cure, it can't be destroyed, it can save my people." Wrex growled, pausing after his last shot when he noticed Laura approaching him.

"Saren's breeding slaves, not a way to save your people Wrex. Come on, even you have to see that." Shepard argued.

"The lines are getting blurred here, Shepard. I'm beginning to question whose side I should be on." He replied, gun still clutched in his hands.

"Saren is the enemy! He is not going to save your people, just make them as weapons… like the Council used your people for the Rachni Wars. Is that what you want, Wrex? Is all that crap about reclaiming what your people lost just a load of varren shit?!" She retorted, raising her voice a little to keep his attention.

Wrex roared and raised his gun, aiming the barrel right at Shepard but she made no move to defend herself. Ashley saw what was going on and was there, her pistol trained on the krogan. Wrex glanced at her and ground his teeth, turning his attention back on Shepard.

"Ashley, stand down." Laura ordered.

"Sorry Commander, but no." Ashley replied, refusing to put her gun down.

"I said stand down!"

Ashley wrestled with obeying but finally, she lowered her gun and took a step back. Shepard let out a held breath and looked at Wrex again. If the krogan had really wanted to kill her, he would have already. She had spent enough time with him to know that. Wrex did not hesitate unless he was uncertain and right now… he was having a dilemma.

"Wrex… I know this is important to you but whatever Saren is doing… it's not the answer. You know I'm right." Laura said calmly, simply keeping eye contact with Wrex.

"You are right Shepard… this isn't the answer." Wrex sighed, putting his gun away.

He approached her and held his hand out to her. She looked at it for a moment before grasping it firmly and she suddenly started to laugh. Mostly out of relief but it caught on to them both were laughing, the sound getting everyone else's attention, though Ashley as the only one who had any context on the situation.

"Did those two just finally snap?" Kaidan asked, confused.

"Nah… they'll be fine. Was worried Wrex was going to shoot the Commander though but seems like they made up. Hopefully they don't kiss or they may have really lost their minds." Ashley replied with a sigh.

"And Liara might get jealous." Kaidan joked.

"I can hear you two!" Shepard called, looking over her shoulder at them.

With Wrex calmed down and the bomb still not ready, Shepard went to one of the tents to relax a bit. That had been stressful and she was still shaking a little. That close to death… and part of her had been hoping Wrex would have shot her right there. The realization that part of her was still there and as strong as it was… it was unsettling and frightening. She got a glance of herself in a reflective service and hadn't realized how haggard she looked. Her eyes were a little puffy and dark, wrinkles around the eyes… she looked awful.

"Laura! Are you ok?" Liara called, having heard about what happened and immediately went looking for the Commander.

"Ya, I'm fine. Just got into a bit of a tizzy with Wrex." She replied, standing up when the asari approached.

"A tizzy? Ashley said he aimed a gun at you!" She replied in disbelief.

"Liara, I'm fine. Wrex wasn't going to shoot me and we talked it out." Laura said, cupping the asari's face between her hands when she was close.

"You were reckless." Liara sighed, giving her a cross look.

"I know… I'm sorry for worrying you Liara… but everything's fine now. Just waiting on the salarians to finish up so we can finally end this."

"Promise me you won't do anything else reckless." The asari said sternly, looking Laura straight in the eye.

"Liara… that's kinda part of my job but… before you get mad at me, I will do my best Liara. For you." She said, giving her a small but warm smile.

"For us." Liara corrected, gently pulling Laura's hands down from her face and setting them on her waist.

Laura smiled and stepped close so the two of them were close, her arms lazily crossed behind Liara's back and resting lightly on the asari's waistline. The new armor Liara had on was light and flexible, colored white with blue trim on it. Liara noticed the human's gaze and blushed.

"W-what? Did I put the armor on wrong again?"

"No… you look great in it. Though… I do prefer you in that lab coat." She said softly, her smile turning into a sly smirk.

She leaned in to kiss Liara but was stopped just short by the sound of someone clearing their throat quite loudly. Kirrahe was standing there, giving the pair an expressionless look, though mostly focused on the Commander.

"Damn cock block…" Laura muttered under her breath.

"Pardon?" Liara asked, unfamiliar with the term

"Nevermind. What can I do for you Captain Kirrahe?" She asked, pulling away from Liara and putting on a more professional attitude.

"We're ready."


	13. The Missing Piece

Virmire is, again, a straight forward mission, so the chapter really only focuses on the important moments about this half of the mission... but there's some fluff for you guys as a reward... sad fluff I've been trying to keep the chapters from being TOO depressing.

Thanks for the continued views and hope you continue to enjoy the story as we come to to the close of the ME arc before moving on to Redemption/ME2's arcs.

* * *

"Last charge set!" Garrus called as he hurried away from the relay tower.

Once everyone was properly concealed under cover, Laura punched in the command on her omni-tool and the charges went off, toppling the relay tower. The static over their communication line cleared up and Kirrahe immediately contacted them.

"Not sure what you did Commander but it seems to have slowed down the geth reinforcements. Thank you."

Laura didn't respond, since they needed to maintain silence while they infiltrated Saren's base. She had brought Garrus and Tali along with her while leaving the rest of the team with Kirrahe as they assaulted the front of Saren's base… though the attack was merely a diversion for Shepard's team to slip in unnoticed. By the time they reached the base doors, they had also blown up the drone's fuel tanker to help lighten the pressure on Kirrahe's team. Liara was with them and that constantly ate at the back of Shepard's mind. She had made Wrex and Ashley promise they'd keep an eye on the asari… though she had protested not being on the infiltration team. Kaiden had been left with the Normandy to finish with the bomb.

When they reached the base, all the doors were sealed. Tali immediately went to the closets panel and started to hack it. She got through but she had a concern.

"Commander… I can trip the alarms and force the geth to Kirrahe's locations, which would leave the base relatively undefended but… doing so could put too much pressure on the assault team." Tali said worriedly.

"They've got enough going on. We can deal with whatever is inside." Laura said, patting Tali on the shoulder.

Seemingly relieved by the decision, Tali opened the door and they slipped inside. As expected, it was crawling with geth, krogan, and Husks. Saren also seemed to have researchers working with him, though most of them were non-combatants. With the alarm system disabled, making their way to the krogan breeding facility was relatively easy. However, the krogan breeding factory wasn't the worst part of Saren's base. Inside, they found the missing members of Kirrahe's squad… driven mad. Only one of them was sane enough to rely what had happened.

Saren was experimenting with the 'noise' his ship, Sovereign, seemed to emit. Benezia's warning seemed to have truth in it, that the ship drove people insane. She wondered if they were being exposed but she didn't hear anything unusual as they made their way to the top suites of the base. Laura hoped Saren was not aware of their infiltration. She wanted to catch the bastard turian… well, the Council and Alliance wanted him captured alive. She was quite content with putting one between his eyes and feeding his corpse to varren. The higher up they went into the building, however, the more disheartened Shepard was getting, beginning to think Saren had escaped.

They burst into a small office with a row of desks and terminals. It appeared to be empty but the elevator on the other end was locked and Tali couldn't hack through it. They were stuck. There was a soft sound and everyone turned to face one of the desks. Shepard could make out a shape cowering underneath and stepped forward.

"Come out and we won't shoot." She called sternly.

"Ok ok! Don't shoot me!" A feminine voice rang out, the figure slowly standing.

It was an asari dressed in a lab coat. She identified herself as one of the few, non-combatant, scientists in the facility. She spilled everything without much prodding… everything about Saren's experimentations with indoctrination, about the breeding facility… everything the Council could ever want in terms of evidence and then some. She even opened the elevator to Saren's private labs.

"Thanks but… if I were you, I'd get off the planet. I'm going to blow it up in the next half hour." Laura said, offering no help to her.

The asari swore and scurried off, talking about reaching the escape shuttles. They took the elevator to its destination, surprised to find Saren's labs were completely empty… but Saren wasn't here.

"Fuck. He's gone." Laura growled, holstering her weapon as she looked around.

"Hey Commander… you should come take a look at this." Garrus called from the far side of the lab.

She found Garrus on a lower level of the room but what he was looking at is what got her attention. Standing before them was a fully intact and active Prothean beacon, just like the one that had been on Eden Prime. It was the missing piece to the puzzle around the Conduit… Saren would no longer have the advantage.

"I'm going to interface with it… though I have no idea how I did it last time." Shepard said, slowly approaching the device, remembering how it happened on Eden Prime.

The 'interfacing' however, when exactly like it did on Eden Prime, though considerably less forceful. The field caught but didn't drag her towards it, simply held her in place as she felt the information being burned into her mind. The same vision… the same screams and pain but there was a clarity to it that had eluded her, the missing piece but she couldn't make sense of it. Once it stopped, Shepard could barely keep her balance, Garrus helping her steady herself by letting her lean on him for a moment.

"Did it work?" Tali asked, running scans on the beacon again.

"Ya… but we won't know what Saren got until I get back to Liara." She replied, wincing as she felt a powerful ache at the base of her skull, fighting to keep her concentration. "Let's get out of here and secure the location for the Normandy."

As they moved up to the main floor again, all three of the noticed that there was an active VI interface on the platform. Shepard didn't recall seeing it before but if it was active, maybe they could figure out where Saren was or needed to go. Cautiously, she approached the holographic interface and brushed a gloved hand against what looked like a input panel but it suddenly vanished and all the lights and equipment in the room flickered for a brief moment.

_You are not Saren._

The voice was deep, metallic and seemed to come from both around them and in their heads. Shepard didn't see anyone in the room and assumed maybe it was an intercom of some kind and Saren was just messing with them.

"You're not going to escape this time Saren." She called out in challenge.

_Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh… you touch my mind and fumble in the darkness, incapable of understanding._

"I… don't think this is a VI, Commander." Tali said, voice sounding in disbelief and awe.

"No shit, eh?" Shepard commented in reply. "Who are you?"

_There is a realm of existence so far beyond your own you cannot even imagine it. I am beyond your comprehension. I am Sovereign._

The red VI interface flickered back on but it was completely different. Shepard immediately recognized the shape as that of the ship she saw on Eden Prime… but the more she stared at it, the more she realized it wasn't really a ship. It was metal but had such an organic shape… not even the Geth ships looked remotely close to this.

"Sovereign isn't some ship Saren found… it's a Reaper!" Laura exclaimed as she tried to wrap her head around the conclusion.

_Reaper? A label created by the Protheans to give voice to their destruction. In the end, what they chose to call us is irrelevant. We simply... are._

"There's no way you could know about the Protheans. No ship or whatever you are could survive for fifty thousand years." Tali protested, her and Garrus having trouble understanding what was going on before them.

The conversation continued and proved to be quite enlightening. The Reapers brought about a cycle of absolute destruction every fifty thousand years… and they were next. Whatever their purpose, Sovereign saw no need in telling them, only that it was beyond their 'limited' understanding. Whatever this thing was, Shepard was certain now that Saren did not have control of Sovereign but Sovereign had control of Saren. They went back and forth until the conversation was, abruptly, ended. The building gave a massive shake that threw them all off balance.

"The fuck was that?!" Shepard demanded out loud as she got back up on her feet.

"Commander?!" Joker called over the communicator.

"What's going on Joker?"

"You better get out of there. That ship just made a turn that would sheer a cruiser in half… and its headed straight for your location. You must have pissed it off." He relayed to her.

"Understood. Let's move!" Shepard ordered.

They high-tailed it out of there, picking up their route to get to the drop point. They cut through the krogan labs and had to fight tooth and nail to get through all of the defenses, now on high alert to their presence. However, they cleared the area and she radioed in the Normandy, the ship arriving just a few minutes later. Kaiden and some of the Normandy crew came down, carrying the bomb.

"How are we looking, Alenko?" Shepard asked, saluting him in response to his salute.

"Bomb's ready to go. I just need to arm it."

"Good. Then…" Shepard started to respond but was interrupted by Ashley on the comm link.

"Commander! We're pinned down and won't make it to the rendezvous point! We need assistance or we're not going to make it!"

"Go. I'll finish up here and get to the rendezvous point." Alenko said, seeing the panic on Laura's face.

"Thanks." She muttered quietly to him before calling for Garrus and Tali to follow her.

They ran for the AA gun tower where Kirrahe and the team were pinned down for the geth. If they could flank them, then they'd have a chance. However, their progress was stopped mid-way when Kaiden called in… and then Ashley.

"Commander! Geth reinforcements are at the bomb site!"

"Commander, we're getting hammered here. We can't last much longer!"

"Fuck… Ashley, hold…" Shepard started to respond but suddenly, all the alarms on the base went off. Tali checked her omni-tool and gave Shepard a worried look; the bomb had been armed.

"Kaiden! The fuck are you doing?"

"Gotta get this bomb off at all costs, Commander. You can't save us both but… I can hold the geth off long enough to make sure the device isn't disarmed. Get Ashley and the rest of the team off Virmire!" Kaiden said, voice nearly drowned out by the gunfire coming across both feeds.

"Bullshit! We can hold out long enough for you to get Kaiden's stupid ass and come around to grab us!" Ashley snapped back over the comm.

"Shut it Ashley! We all know who Laura is going to choose… and besides, it'll be just me. The rest of men here were killed in the initial assault. I can hold out long enough on my own." Kaiden said replied, shouting over Ashley's protest.

Laura grimaced and felt her throat lock up, that tight feeling grasping at her heart and gut. Her initial decision to go to the AA tower to help Ashley was, really, to save Liara. However, now she realized how horrible of a commander she had been. Now… she had to choose who was going to live or die but Kaiden had been right… her decision was already set, but not for just Liara but because of Wrex and Ashley and all of Kirrahe's remaining team.

"Ashley… hunker down and keep yourselves alive, I'm on my way. Normandy, rendezvous at these coordinates as soon as I give you the all clear."

"Aye Commander." Joker chimed in sullenly as the situation dropped on them like a hammer.

"Alenko… I'm so sorry." She choked over the comm link.

"It's alright Commander. It was an honor serving with you and the team." Kaiden replied before his line went dead.

Laura gritted her teeth, fighting back the urge to scream and curse and cry in fury, frustration, and sorrow. They had a job to do and if they didn't move, Kaiden's sacrifice would be for nothing. Unfortunately… that was not going to happen as Saren was lying in wait for them. The first biotic blast sent Laura flying into a container, giving her head a firm knock as Garrus and Tali managed to dive for cover to avoid the rouge turian's onslaught as he swooped in on some kind of hovering platform.

"Shepard! Fighting is pointless!" He called.

Recovering a little, Laura managed to drag herself behind the container to keep out of sight, though she could feel blood trickling down her neck and making her hair stick to her scalp. She tried to slow her breathing but her chest was aching, making her take shallow breaths.

"It's over Saren! You're not going to find the Conduit and I'm going to stop you and Sovereign right here right now!" She shouted back at him.

"Don't you understand?! I am trying to SAVE the galaxy. The Reapers are coming… no one can stop that. If we make ourselves useful, submit to them, they will spare us!"

"Spare us?! I'd rather die fighting than become a slave!" She shouted back at him, poking her head out from cover, only to duck back to avoid taking a bullet in the face.

They shouted back and forth at each other, but it was mostly for Shepard's benefit as she waited for Garrus to get into position. Once the turian called in he had a shot, Laura dove out from behind her cover and took a shot at him, hitting the platform he was on. Saren hissed and started to laugh but the Garrus's shot broke his kinetic barrier and sliced through one of the tubes sticking out of his neck. He howled in a mixture of surprise, anger, and what appeared to be pain.

"You will die here Shepard!" Saren screamed.

The fight that erupted was intense but with his barriers down, Saren was completely exposed. As Garrus and Tali kept him pinned under fire, Laura tried to move to a better position, ears still ringing from the blow to her head. However, Saren called in geth reinforcements to provide cover, forcing them to divide their attention from the turian. A Destroyer flushed Laura out of her cover before she managed to destroy it, leaving her completely exposed to Saren. The biotic pull sent her skidding across the water, weapon wrenched out of her grasp. Saren looked over her before bending and picking her up, carrying her over the edge of the platform to dangle her over it.

"I will save this galaxy!" Saren growled, holding her by the throat with one arm.

"S-Sovereign's already got you… Saren… he'll make you like the Husks." She snapped back, legs kicking helplessly.

"As long as I am useful, Sovereign will spare me and I will spread my message to the Council. Those that don't surrender will perish… starting with you!"

One of the gas tanks suddenly exploded, distracting Saren and loosening his grip. Laura yelled as she swung, feeling herself falling, fist hitting Saren square in the side of the head and sending the turian reeling back. Her feet hit the edge of the platform before slipping off the slick surface. She barely caught herself on the edge, scrambling for a firmer grip. With the alarms getting louder, Saren simply ran for it, escaping as Shepard struggled to pull herself back up.

"Little help here!" She shouted, feeling herself slipping further and further.

Luckily, Garrus and Tali were there seconds later and hauled her back up… but there was no time to catch their breaths or figure out where Saren ran off to; they had to get to Ashley's team and get off Virmire. They ran and fought their way through the disorganized forces, making it to the AA gun. The geth weren't expecting a flank and were crushed within a few minutes, forcing the rest to run off in retreat. Once the area was secured, Shepard called in the Normandy to pick them up. Once everyone was aboard, she sprinted to the cockpit, chancing a glance on the countdown to detonation.

"Joker! Do we…"

"Sorry Commander but…" Joker replied to her incomplete question, already piloting the Normandy away from the planet's surface.

All Laura could do was helplessly watch the window as Virmire receded. She visibly flinched when she saw the flash of the explosion of the bomb, destroying Saren's base of operations but… securing Kaiden's ill fate. Everyone was in a solemn mood when she walked out onto the bridge. She looked each person in the face in turn but couldn't find anything to say… simply heading to the CIC room to give her report. Saren had vanished without a trace but the Council wanted them to return to the Citadel… mostly to drop off the STG team on board.

* * *

Liara was sitting in her room, everyone kind of retreated into their own worlds right now as the whole Normandy crew processed Kaiden's humble sacrifice. She found it hard to concentrate on her work but she needed to figure out where this Conduit was before Saren got too much of a lead. However, she couldn't help but think about how Laura was coping with this. She knew the human's reaction to severe stress was extreme and the worry kept gnawing at her until she finally got up and got out of the med-bay to check on her.

Much to the asari's surprise, the Commander was sitting in the mess hall, alone. There was a cup in front of her of which she, assumed from the black liquid, was coffee. She seemed to be out of it but as soon as Liara was near the table, Laura lifted her head. Her eyes were red and a little puffy, like she had been crying earlier. The sight broke her heart and Liara immediately moved around the table and put her arms around her.

"I'm so sorry Laura." She whispered, hugging the human with her face buried against her neck.

Laura didn't reply, just gently pried Liara's arms from around her and stood up. At first, Liara was confused by the behavior but when Laura squeezed her hand and gave a gentle pull, she followed the human to her quarters. For awhile, Shepard was silent… just standing there, holding her hands with her thumbs brushing over her knuckles.

"Laura…"

"Kaiden was right. Even if he hadn't said anything I would have come to save you." Laura sighed loudly, wincing as moving made the cut on her head hurt.

Dr. Chakwas had bandaged her up pretty well but she was still feeling pretty sore… but physical pain didn't compare to her emotions right now. She couldn't bear to look up at Liara, thinking that she would find her repulsive for such a thought.

"If he hadn't… volunteered… I think I'd have left him there anyway. I… it just… when both he and Ashley called during that moment. The choice was immediate. I'd have ripped through the geth bare handed to get to you." She continued, daring to lift her head and look Liara in the eye.

There was no judgment in those crystal blues that stared back at her… only sadness and warmth in a strange mixture. Laura squeezed her hands and gave her a small but encouraging smile.

"You did what you could Commander… and I think Kaiden was right but not because I wanted to be save, not that I didn't, it's just… Ashley and Wrex and all of Kirrahe's men owe you their lives. If you had gone back for Kaiden, we'd have been there with the bomb."

"I know I just…." Laura choked, tears coming back to her eyes.

"Felt like you could have done more? Laura… you did all you could and no one blames you. And… you shouldn't blame yourself."

She let go and cupped the Commander's cheek with one hand, leaning in and giving her a gentle kiss on the lips. The corners of Laura's lips twitched up for a moment and she immediately wiped away the unshed tears.

"I know… but being in a position of command means you're held accountable… even when a situation gets out of control. The one in command is always responsible." She said with a heavy sigh.

"Yes but this was not your fault… Akuze was not your fault." Liara whispered, pulling herself closer.

They held each other for a while, listening to each other breathe. Liara drank in the human's scent… heavy with sweat, dust, synthetic material and the hint of blood and smoke. The smell of a warrior, of combat; something Liara never noticed since Shepard tended to shower right after a mission. She pulled away after a few minutes.

"I should go. You must be tired." Liara said softly.

However, Laura refused to let go of the asari, tightening her arms around her and pushing Liara back up against her body. Liara felt her cheeks getting heated and she fumbled with her words for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on with Shepard. She flinched a little when she felt the human's breath against her ear.

"Stay with me… please."


	14. Grounded

Ya, so... just about 95% of this chapter never happened in the game. Enjoy :)

* * *

When they arrived on the Citadel, Shepard and her team were immediately called to the Council chamber. Laura assumed that they wanted to congratulate them and discuss plans for finally nabbing Saren. However… quite the opposite changed. Instead, the Council and Udina were convinced Saren was no longer a threat and that, as long as he stayed out of the Traverse, they weren't in any danger.

"You're just going to sweep this under the rug?! Saren has an army of geth large enough to attack the Citadel! He tortured people, bred krogan and you're just going to sit here and let him start all over again?!" Shepard demanded

"Without his base, Saren is on the run and little danger to us." The turian councilor retorted.

"Idiots! You're all idiots! He'll find the Conduit, he'll bring back the Reapers and he'll come STRAIGHT for the Citadel!"

"These so called 'Reapers'… you have no evidence of their existence. They are a myth Saren fabricated and has, apparently, got you to believe, Commander." The salarian responded.

"Our decision is final Commander. The Normandy will be grounded pending a thorough investigation."

"You're dismissed Commander. The Council and I have matters under control." Udina said with a note of finality, simply shrugging her off.

She turned a little and saw the eyes of her crew on her, all in various states of disbelief and anger. Her jaw tightened and she turned back to them, puffing up her chest. The asari councilor noticed her still there, brow arching quizzically as she ignored what was going on for the moment.

"Fine… I shouldn't have expected anything more from the Council. I believed that, somehow, the asari, turians, and salarians were better than humanity but really… we're all exactly alike. Saren will come and even if he manages to fail in helping Sovereign, the Reapers will come and it won't just be one ship or a fleet… it will be an armada large enough to wipe out every species in the galaxy. And when your worlds burn… when they all burn, you'll wish you had listened." Laura snarled before turning her back and leaving.

With the ship grounded, everyone went their separate ways after leaving the Citadel tower. Shepard was about to head off to the nearest bar when Liara touched her shoulder to get her attention.

"Hey… perhaps this is a little prudent of me but I think we had a date planned." Liara said, giving her a sheepish smile.

"It's not prudent… I could use something to distract me from going back and punching the Council in their throats." She replied with a smile of her own.

"Good, because I think it's my turn to pick where we go… and I think you'll like it."

* * *

"How did you convince Tevara to let you use her house?" Laura asked as she lounged on the couch.

"I contacted her after we finished that mission on the Moon for the Alliance. With everything going on, she said she was going to take the girls to Thessia for a little while… until Saren was apprehened." Liara replied from the kitchen.

"Are you sure you don't want any help in there?" Shepard asked, sniffing at the air to get an idea of what the asari is cooking.

"No! Contrary to what you may believe, Shepard, I have more skills than archaeology. I'm a fairly respectable cook."

"I'll take your word for it." Shepard sighed, feeling a bit annoyed with just sitting there and doing nothing.

A half hour passed before Liara said dinner was ready, setting two plates on the table before hurrying off to fetch a bottle of wine. Laura walked into the room just as she returned, surprised to find it was a homely asari dish that she recognized, though Liara had substituted some of the ingredients on Laura's plate with earth equivalents. It looked quite delicious and had a delicate smell to match.

"Wow… I… was not expecting this." Laura said in amazement as she sat down.

"Ye of little faith… is that how that line goes?" Liara replied, a bottle of an expensive red wine in her hand.

"Yes… and are you sure we should be drinking that? That's probably Tevara's."

"She said we could help ourselves… oh, are you supposed allowed to drink? I forgot people who've been through rehabilitation programs aren't supposed to…" Liara started as she sat down.

"Fuck it… a glass of wine isn't gonna hurt anything. Let's just relax and enjoy the evening." Laura chuckled, grabbing the bottle to get the cork out.

Their meal went on in relative quiet… since both were trying to avoid talking about work right now. What had happened in the Council chambers had left a sour taste in everyone's mouth… especially Shepard. She hated having the rug pulled out from under her, so to speak… but then, they believed the threat was over and nothing she could say would make them change their minds. Once they finished eating, Laura insisted on helping clean up the dishes and kitchen. She kept purposely bumping into Liara and throwing soap suds at her whenever she got the chance.

Once they had finished cleaning, they moved to the living room and rifled through Tevara's collection but none of the titles sounded appealing to either them… at least most of them didn't sound appealing to them.

"Vaenia? That sounds promising." Shepard said.

"Uh, Shepard…" Liara started, the human not hearing her.

"Looks like a romance… not my usual but good for a date night, right?" Laura continued obliviously.

"Laura, that's an adult romance." Liara pressed, cheeks turning dark as she drank more wine.

"So? Is it bad or something?" She replied in confusion.

"Um… not that I've heard but it, um… it's a very erotic movie involving asari and humans…" She mumbled.

"Oh, sounds… wait, what?! This is a porno?" Laura exclaimed in surprise, cheeks turning red as she immediately closed the movie before putting it on the big display.

"Ya… um… think I need more wine." Liara said, draining her glass and refilling it from the bottle they brought with them.

"Blasto?" Laura asked, just picking something out of the blue to lighten the awkwardness.

"Blasto."

After putting the movie on, Laura sat down on the couch with Liara, putting some space between them as she picked up her glass and drained it. Liara immediately refilled it without any prompting. They sat there and watched the movie about a secret agent hanar. Liara noticed Shepard seemed to really like this kind of movie. She laughed and booed and cursed when the bad guy got the upper hand and cheered when Blasto got away. It was much more amusing for her to watch than the movie itself. Not even halfway through the vid, they had drunk through the remains of the wine bottle. They were both feeling a little tipsy but nowhere near drunk.

As the movie progressed, they had scooted closer and closer together until Liara was leaned up against Laura with one of her arms draped over the asari in a loose hug. Laura was still watching but Liara had grown bored and a bit bold. When she had the time, she had done research on relationships with humans… intimate contact and the like. She knew Laura liked it when she ran her fingers through her hair and hugged and kissed her but… she was growing more and more curious about what the Commander might respond to.

"AH!" Laura yelped in alarm when she felt something wet against her ear.

Liara sat there, frozen like a deer in headlights. It took a moment for Laura to realize what she had done, which was lick her ear, and she broke out in a grin.

"Well hello there, Dr. T'Soni." She said in a teasing manner, leaning in to her and forgetting the movie still playing.

"I… I'm sorry, I just thought…" She stammered, horribly embarrassed.

"Thought I'd like having my ear licked? Well, granted I've never had someone do that before but… that was kinda nice." She replied.

Laura pulled the asari on to her lap, smiling at her warmly. Right now, the Council, Saren, the Reapers… it didn't matter at this moment. All she cared about right now as the beautiful blue woman right in front of her. Gently, she pulled Liara down to kiss her, a gentle, exploratory action of lips and tongue. The movie played, forgotten as the pair became absorbed with each other. Liara's entire body shivered as she felt Laura's hand traveling down her back, skin aching to feel her touch uninhibited by the fabric of clothes… a thought that had become increasingly more powerful since Noveria.

Unfortunately, the sound of Laura's omni-tool going off broke the atmosphere. Laura growled against Liara's lips, a primal sound that only made the hot ache in Liara's body worse. She didn't want the moment to be over… neither of them did. After muttering a few curses, she disabeled the alarm on her omni-tool and turned her attention back to Liara.

"Shouldn't you… answer that?" Liara asked, breathless at the sight of the lusty look in Laura's eyes.

"I honestly don't care if it's a fucking Fleet Admiral or the Council." She replied in a gruff voice, pulling Liara back to her.

They were getting back into the rhythm and atmosphere of what they had before, but not a minute later did Laura's omni-tool go off again, though the tone was different… one reserve only for a private line only a few people knew how to access and one she knew not to ignore.

"God fucking dammit. What?!" Laura snapped as she answered her omni-tool, sneaking a kiss onto Liara's throat.

"It's Anderson. I need you to meet me at Flux. Now." Came his reply, sounding extremely serious.

"Alright… I'll be there in a few minutes." Laura sighed, looking up apologetically at Liara but the asari simply smiled.

"Go. We'll talk later. There's… something I need to talk to you about." Liara said.

"Whatever he wants, it better be fucking important. I'll see you soon… real soon." She replied, arms around the asari again.

She craned her neck up and kissed Liara… kissed her in way that left her entire being on fire and promises of more. Oh she hoped for there to be more, even though the idea both excited and frightened her.


	15. Heart of Their Union

Had a bit of a hiatus due to school, work, and some mild writer's block. I apologize for the long wait between updates and hope you enjoy the chapter.

Thanks for the continued views and favs :)

* * *

Shepard sat at her desk, terminal open and several data pads in front of her. Hours ago, she had a final debrief with the team about Illos… and what to expect. She had already gotten Joker to take the Normandy off the grid but it seemed neither the Council nor the Alliance were interested in apprehending them. She hoped that Anderson would be ok… though she wished she had been there to see Udina get punched out. There wasn't time to dwell on it though, not with the fate of the galaxy weighing on her.

She was staring at the information on Illos and the geth Liara and Tali had compiled together for her, along with all the information she had gotten from the Council on Saren months ago. However, the turian wasn't behaving like himself… Laura was certain he had was already being manipulated by Sovereign. Hell, this whole mission was topsy-turvy and hardly anything made sense. Part of her wanted to follow the Council's line of thinking; that this was just a geth invasion and Saren had lost his mind but so many little details didn't add up and too many other things made sense for her to simply dismiss it. What she had witnessed since this mission began was beyond comprehension and yet… here they were.

Laura barely noticed the sound of her door opening and sighed, assuming it was someone running her more information but when she turned in her chair, she was surprised to see Liara step into the room, door sliding shut behind her.

"Laura… I hope I'm not interrupting but I had hoped I could speak with you for a moment."

"Sure. I could use something else to get my mind off of… this." She replied in relief as she gestured towards her terminal and stack of datapads.

The commander stood up as the asari approached, reaching out and taking her gloved hand, drawing her closer. Liara let Laura pull her close, hoping her would-be lover's close proximity would calm her nerves. The debriefing about the mission to Ilos had left everyone on edge and the crew was spending its last few hours doing what they could to prepare themselves for it. Liara had been sitting in her room, going over every scrap of research she had, hoping that she hadn't missed something.

"I've been thinking about you…" Laura whispered to her, gently nuzzling her cheek against Liara's.

"I… um, have been thinking about you as well… about everything actually."

Laura heard the distress in Liara's voice and stepped back to look at her. She wasn't exactly sure what to say… because anything she said in attempt to comfort fears would just be a lie. They were heading deep into enemy territory with no escape or back-up plans. It was do or die now and Saren already had a lead on them. He would be ready and waiting for them.

"I don't know what is going to happen on Ilos but… I know we must stop Saren at any cost if we are to stop Sovereign's plan. I feel if I don't say this now, I will not have a second opportunity." Liara continued, nervously looking at the floor for a moment before focusing back on Shepard's face.

"It'll be alright, Liara. We won't… tch, who am I kidding? We all know what to expect once we go through the Mu Relay. Hell… I've just been staring at data the last few hours trying to avoid that and many other thoughts." Laura interrupts before realizing what she was doing. "Oh, sorry… got carried away there. What did you want to tell me?"

"I… want what could possibly be our last hours together to be special. A chance to be truly honest with each other… in body and mind."

"Liara, what… oh… OH! Are you sure?" Laura asked, becoming excited and nervous all at the same time when it dawned on her what Liara was kinda subtly asking of her.

"I haven't been more of sure of anything in my life. Will you… join with me, Laura?" Liara asked in reply, cupping her hand against Laura's cheek.

"I want that more than anything…" Was her breathy reply.

The tension in the air was thick but in a good way… though Laura was not prepared for Liara to take the lead as the asari wrapped both her arms around Shepard and pulled her down for a fierce kiss. More than eager to return her affections, Laura wrapped her arms around the asari in return, pulling her flush against her body. The asari gasped as she felt Laura's hand slide up her back, skin tingling at the thought of what it would feel like without their clothes in the way. With lungs aching for air, they parted for a moment to catch their breaths, Liara using the opportunity to start pushing up the hem of Laura's shirt, only to be stopped.

"Um… admittedly, you would be the first woman... girl… female I've been intimate with so… I'm a little nervous." Shepard admitted sheepishly.

"And you would be the first person I've ever been intimate with. All I have to go on is what I… um, researched." Liara interjected, sounding just as nervous as Laura was.

"Researched, huh? Why don't you show me…"

Laura let go of Liara's wrists, allowing the asari to lift her shirt up until she need the human's help getting the article of clothing over her head and off her arms. For the first time, Liara was able to have a proper look at Laura's body, hastily tugging off her gloves so she could touch. The scar was a shocking contrast to the rest of her pale skin. Parts of it dipped into her body, where muscle hadn't regrown completely, others raised where the scar tissue was heavier. The texture was smooth in comparison to the soft texture of the rest of her body but she didn't mind the difference… it fascinated the asari. Watching how Laura's body responded to her touch, muscles flexing when she touched her around her ribs, a throaty moan as she traced the contour of her spine…

"This is…. Ngh, hardly fair." Laura complained, unable to stand the sweet torture of letting Liara explore her when the asari started to relieve her of her pants.

Liara realized she could no longer distract her, not after seeing the dark, hungry look in Laura's eyes. Before she even had the chance to say anything, Shepard already had her close and was hastily undoing the clasps holding her lab coat together before it was roughly pushed off her shoulders and cast aside somewhere in the room. The pace changed and they were both suddenly frantically trying to undress each other without sacrificing physical contact. The urge to meld with Shepard… to form that intimate mental bond was more than Liara could bear and just as the last articles of clothing were tossed aside and Laura pulled the asari flush against her, she simply let go and reached out for her.

Laura gasped sharply as Liara melded with her. Before, Liara had always given a warning and the melds were purely for sharing information between each other and nothing more. This was nothing like that… it was chaotic bliss. They were both drowning in clashing tides of raw emotion and memories with no rhyme or reason to them. Every injury and school-yard crush and heart-broken was re-lived but it was so difficult to tell which thoughts and feelings were originating from… they weren't two people any more but one consciousness that seemed to stretch on forever and ever… drowning together until the storm of thoughts and memories calmed…

And then it was over and Laura found herself on her back on the bed, Liara looking at her with concern. She didn't realize how heavy she was breathing until she realized the sound was coming from her. Her body felt light and her head fuzzy but in a good way. She could still feel traces of Liara's consciousness threaded with her own though she only 'felt' the emotions on the surface; awe and anxious worry.

"Whoa… that was intense."

"Did... you not like it?" Liara asked nervously, kneeling on the edge of the bed.

Laura propped herself up on one arm and beckoned Liara over to her. The asari crawled towards her, blue eyes still filled with worry. She wrapped her arm around Liara's back and rolled them over so the asari was underneath her.

"I have never been that… vulnerable to anyone before but feeling you… it was just… there's no words for it. It was the most beautiful thing and I'm glad I shared it with you, Liara." Laura replied happily.

"I'm relieved… I was worried it was too much for you. All your experiences… feeling the pain of this…" Liara replied, touching the scarring on her side and slowly trailing her fingers up.

"A lot to take in, I'm sure. Are you up for… continuing?" Shepard asked suggestively, pressing a kiss to the asari's throat, free hand caressing her hip

"Umm… ya but the, um… physical side I am… um…" Liara started to stammer, only to have her stuttering words silenced with a kiss.

"We'll learn together."

Nothing Liara had read had prepared her for how the physical side of intimacy would feel, especially when they were still linked together. Laura's mannerism shifted, taking control this time and both guiding and exploring the asari's body in a similar manner to how Liara had done earlier. Shepard avoided the asari's groin on purpose, letting her hand graze close to the apex, Liara's hips raising in anticipation, only to have the touch move somewhere else on her body. Each time Laura's fingers crew close to the source of the growing ache below her stomach and went no further, she became increasingly more and more frustrated. At first, she thought Laura was just nervous but after the fourth or fifth time, it became clear that the human was teasing her. She was about to snap at Laura when she decided it would be more… productive to just show her lover what she wanted.

Laura yelped as Liara strengthened the mental connection between them, sharing rather vivid imagery of what she wanted the… no, HER commander to do. She could feel Laura's response; a high spike in her arousal, shock, awe, and a smug gloating… only to have it quickly replaced by a sudden jolt of surprise when Liara went a step further and pressed her hand between the human's legs. Relief washed through the asari for moment when she found her research had been accurate and that their bodies, on a physiological scale, weren't so different. She wanted to keep Laura on distracted and began to probe and stroke, eliciting sounds out of the human that ranged from deep grunts to breathy gasps. She glanced up at Laura for a moment when she felt the human's emotions become nothing but raw and hungry desire, lips curled in that sly, chilling smile she had only seen when Shepard had someone in the sights of her rifle. Though both inexperienced in their own ways, they quickly learned each other's bodies, the bond between them an endless echo of pleasure and thoughts focused on nothing but love and sex until they were both exhausted.

Liara lay beside Shepard already sound asleep, resting her head on her shoulder as the human stroked the back of her crest gently. Laura glanced over at the clock on her nightstand and saw they only had an hour before they'd been on the final approach. She felt relaxed and anxious at the same time. Her few hours of sleep had been troubled but she didn't want to disturb Liara at all, not with the asari looking so graceful and beautiful. However, she didn't realize that she was still linked to Liara and her anxious thoughts were enough to wake her up.

"Nnn…. Why are you awake?" Liara mumbled, eyes fluttering open.

"Did I wake you?" Laura immediately responded, stroking her fingers down the back of Liara's neck, feeling the asari shiver a little.

"Kind of but… it's almost time, isn't it? Did you sleep at all, Shepard?" Liara asked as she lifted her head, draping an arm across

"Enough to function. I'm always like this before a big mission, comes with being the one in charge." She replied with a sigh, not wanting to get up.

"We'll stop Saren and Sovereign… together." Liara told her firmly, leaning over to plant a gentle, reassuring kiss on the human's cheek before getting out of bed and gathering up her clothes.

Laura took a moment to watch her dress before getting up and doing the same. Her chest suddenly ached and she felt incredibly sad and fearful. It took a moment for her to realize those feelings were coming from Liara, a few threads from their meld still lingering between them. Laura walked up behind the asari and wrapped her arms around her, holding her close.

"I won't let anything happen to you or the team… not like on Virmire. All of us will make it out of this alive."


	16. Sovereign's Fall

And here we come to the end of the arc of the first game. There will be bridge chapter before moving into ME2's story arc. Hope you continue to enjoy the story.

* * *

They sat at the top of the roadway, the MAKO's engines growling. Everyone could see the Conduit before them… literally a miniature mass relay that was a one way trip to the Citadel. There was a small army of geth between them and the Conduit and they had only one goal; stop Shepard and her team.

"Well… I knew this vehicle would be the death of us." Ashley joked darkly.

"At least we'll go down in a blaze of glory but… fortune favors the bold. Everyone hold on tight, this is gonna be a bumpy ride." Shepard replied just as darkly, pressing her foot down on the gas.

The shields barely held when they made the jump but they made it, thrown into the Presidum where the Conduit's partner, which everyone had assumed was a monument until now, stood. The MAKO hit the ground hard and the axel snapped, sending two of the wheels bouncing off and the vehicle into a roll before it slammed into the side of the building in an immediate halt. Luckily, the occupants were alive, though a bit bruised and banged. Once everyone piled out, Laura gave her orders. Wrex and Tali would follow her after Saren while the rest of the team, under Ashley's command, would assist in evacuation efforts. Liara was dismayed that she would be separated from Laura in this critical moment.

"Laura… please be careful." She pleaded as everyone finished getting ready.

"I have this strange magnetism for danger Liara so… no promises but I will come back to you. I won't let anything in the universe keep us apart." She replied, trying to make light of the situation without much success.

Liara bit her bottom lip a little in worry as Laura turned from her to join up with Wrex and Tali by the elevator. The Commander only stopped when Liara called out her name, the asari grabbing her arm and forcing her to turn once more to face her. Laura's eyes were wide with surprise when Liara flung her arms around her neck and pulled the human's head down for a fierce, desperate kiss. Everyone either made cat-calls or snide remarks about the moment when they pulled apart, Laura looking a bit bewildered.

"Incentive to come back alive." Liara whispered to her before hurrying off to join Ashley's team.

"Liara's got you wrapped around her little blue finger, Shepard… course if you end up dying, she's gonna take it out on us." Wrex joked, clapping her on the back and bringing her back to reality.

"Oh shove it Wrex. Let's go, we've got a turian to kill."

* * *

"You've been a thorn in my side since the beginning Shepard, but it's already too late! Sovereign will open the Citadel Relay and the Reapers will return! But, you will not live to see it!" Saren screeched as he fired at the pedestal she was hiding behind.

Shepard flinched and ground her teeth together as bits of debris sprayed from the shot, some of it striking her cheek. He had the advantage and Saren was managing to keep the three of them pinned. Laura noted he looked nothing like he had on Virmire. There were tubes sticking out of the left side of his chest and connecting to his neck and arm. He was looking more like a Husk than turian now. Whatever Sovereign had done to him since Virmire… it had driven Saren beyond reason.

"Saren! This isn't going to save anyone! You've played right into the Reapers hands!" Laura shouted at him.

"No! They will spare those that serve them loyally. As long as I have purpose…"

"You're just a tool! Have you looked in a mirror lately?! You've become what Sovereign wants; a pawn! A puppet in which he tells you what to do and you do it! You don't control anything, not even yourself!" She screamed back at him, daring to poke her head out.

Saren howled, clawed hands clapped to his head, mandibles furiously flexing. He seemed to be having trouble coping with Laura's words. Honestly, she hadn't expected that to have this effect… she was hoping it would distract him long enough to get Tali and Wrex into better positions around the room.

"N-no! This… this isn't what I wanted! What… what have I done?!" Saren lamented, staring at his hands as if he were looking at them for the first time.

Cautiously, Shepard stood up and walked out from behind her cover, Wrex hissing at her to get back. She still had her pistol trained on Saren but all the turian did was stare at her in return.

"Help me fight Sovereign. We can still stop it before the relay is opened." She said in a calmer voice, slowly approaching him step by step.

"No… it's too late for me Shepard. You… you were the soldier I could never be. I was so blinded by my hatred… the rage, I thought Sovereign was the answer. It is much too late for me… Sovereign has replaced much of my body with machinery. I am beyond saving." Saren replied, a hint of regret in his voice.

"Then how do I stop Sovereign? It must have a weakness." Shepard pressed, pausing her steps.

"I wish you luck, Shepard… but there is no stopping them now." Saren said, raising his pistol and putting it to his temple.

The shot made her flinch when Saren blew his brains out, falling from his platform and shattering the glass beneath, landing in the garden below the control console. Catuiously, Shepard peered over the edge, seeing the turian's corpse lying there, blue blood oozing from the open hole in his skull. Wrex and Tali joined her a moment later.

"Make sure he's dead. I'll try and over-ride Sovereign's attempt at opening the relay." Laura ordered to Wrex and Tali.

"Commander! The Destiny Ascension is requesting assistance. The geth are going to destroy the ship if we don't help." Joker suddenly interjected before Wrex and Tali left.

"Shepard… if you help the Destiny Ascension, there's a chance the Alliance won't have enough ships to fight Sovereign." Tali warned.

"I know… and I could care less about the Council but... protect the Destiny Ascension!"

Laura ran to the control panel and placed in the data disk they had retrieved on Ilos. Suddenly, text in a foreign language appeared on the screen, behaving by itself. Though she didn't recognize it, she could read it. Laura suspected that since this was Prothean she was able to understand it because of it… not that she had any clue on what it was doing. Shepard jumped a little when she heard a shot and looked down to see Wrex had put another bullet in Saren's head.

Suddenly, the platform gave a violent shake and there was a blinding red light coming from Saren's corpse. It suddenly sprang to life, the machinery inside still very much intact as Sovereign took control of the former turian. Flesh burned away from the metal, limbs stretching out, eyes glowing with red light. The discharge of energy was so powerful, it threw Wrex and Tali to the ground and broke the platform above. Shepard swore as she felt the ground pitched forward and she went tumbling, unable to maintain her balance. She hit the ground hard and tumbled across the garden before finally managing to stop a few feet shy of the wall. Laura looked up to find Saren… no, whatever the hell Sovereign had turned Saren into, staring right at her.

"MOVE!" Wrex roared as a beam of light suddenly pointed right at her head.

Laura swore and rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the shot seconds later. Wrex threw a warp but the construct nimbly dodged it. The garden erupted into a chaotic scene of gun fire but the Saren-husk was much too fast and packing both fire power and unmatched strength. Tali missed her shot and it lunged at Laura, sending them both tumbling to across the grass. She screamed angrily as she felt razor sharp claws tear through her armor and into flesh. Wrex slammed into the husk hard, knocking it off her as Tali opened fire to drive it off. Blood was streaming out of the gashes in her armor on her arms, side, and one large cut across her chest. Luckily, both armor and suit had absorbed most of the damage so the cuts to her body were flesh wounds but her kinetic barrier was disabled.

"This ends now!" Shepard yelled with vigor and rage.

The husk did not respond at all, simply kept on the attack. It jumped and crawled at speeds that made it hard to keep up with but Shepard was not a fool. Though not a tactician, she thought well on her feet and adapted to grim situations quickly. She started throwing grenades onto the walls and, coordinating with Wrex and Tali, managed to lure the Saren-husk to one and immediately detonated it. The construct wailed as it was thrown off the wall, one of its limbs blown clean off. Crippled, they had the chance they needed and all three of them unloaded their weapons on it until it was in pieces. The Citadel shook again as the husk's energy fizzled out and they all heard the battle going on outside. Curious, they climbed their way out of the garden just as a massive flash of light filled the entire room.

"They did it!" Wrex shouted in glee.

"Yes they did…. One problem though." Shepard replied, not sharing in the victory just yet as she watched a massive piece of Sovereign coming hurtling right at them.

"RUN!"

* * *

With the remnants of the geth fleet on the run, the battle was over. Soveriegn and Saren had failed but at a great cost. Pieces of the broken Reaper rained upon the Citadel, causing severe damage to several sectors. Ashley's team had sought cover when the rain of metal started, emerging hours later when C-SEC command was hailing them. They met with Anderson and several C-SEC officers in Presidum, where much of the damage was concentrated during Saren's assault. Liara had been in several conflicts since crossing paths with Shepard but this… this was the first time she had been so intimately exposed to the realities of war. The destruction around them was appalling and difficult to believe but as it sank it, she felt both anger and sadness.

"Where's the Commander?" Anderson asked when he noticed the woman missing.

"MIA sir. She took a small team into the tower to stop Saren… oh no, they might have still been in there when that piece of Sovereign hit the Council Chamber!" Ashley replied.

"Jackson. Get some shuttles and notify Huerta that we may have more injured coming in." Andreson ordered.

Since the elevators were out, they had to take shuttles to reach the top of the tower. One of Soveriegn's legs was still sticking out of the massive window, though the mass effect fields around the tower kept the oxygen from escaping. When they got inside, the place was an absolute mess… and there was no sign of Shepard's team. Liara felt worry clench at her chest but refused to believe the worst had happened. Maybe they got out already but no one was responding to Ashley or Anderson's continued calls over the communication lines. Even Shepard's emergency line wasn't working.

"Hey! I found the krogan and quarian!" A C-SEC officer called part-way into the search.

They immediately rushed over as a couple of officers helped Wrex out from under a piece of warped metal that had pinned him. Both he and Tali looked unharmed, much to their relief but there was still no sign of Laura

"What happened? Where's the Commander?" Anderson asked.

"Don't know. She shoved Tali into me when all hell broke loose when that Reaper blew up. I lost sight of her over there before I got pinned." Wrex grumbled, shrugging off the med team that had just shown up to tend to any possible wounded.

Liara was already sprinting towards the area Wrex had pointed out, ignoring both Anderson and Ashley's cries to stop her. She climbed over wreckage and debris, calling out her name desperately and as loudly as she could. She swore she caught sight of movement to her right and stopped but after a moment, saw nothing there. Her fears started growing worse and worse as she searched aimlessly. Anderson and his men, along with the rest of the team, had also joined in the search but there was still no sign of her.

"Hey!" A familiar voice suddenly called, making everyone stop in place.

The asari looked up to find Shepard was about a dozen yards away, standing on top of a fallen piece of Sovereign. Her armor was cut open and covered in dirt, ash, and blood. She spotted Liara and smiled sheepishly, waving at her before carefully climbing down. Liara ran and greeted her with a massive hug as soon as the human's feet touched solid ground.

"AUGH! Watch the arm!" Laura yelped as Liara crushed her broken arm right up against her armor.

"Oh Goddess, I'm sorry! What happened?!" Liara replied in shock, immediately pulling away from her.

"I had space ship parts fall on me… but I just broke my arm, I think. I'll be fine." She replied, still wincing.

"Your armor's been torn up too! There's a med team waiting, come on." Liara retorted, immediately slinging Shepard's good arm around her shoulders and helping her walk.

Commander Shepard was immediately taken to Huerta Medical, along with the rest of her team. She had broken several bones and lost a good amount of blood. The rest of her team, thankfully, checked out fine but she was confined to a hospital bed for a few days. The dead and injured were still being tallied but for now… the war was over. During her stay in the hospital, Laura spent that time thinking about the Reapers… wondering if destroying Sovereign would really stop them. If they operated on a set time-table, just because they disabled the Citadel Relay didn't mean they would just give up. Instinct told her this was only the beginning… that the Reapers would come from dark space and they would destroy them if they sat around and did nothing.

However, the Council did not really share her concern. As far as they cared, the Reaper threat was over. With Saren dead, Sovereign in pieces, and the geth fleet scattered… everything could go back to the way it was.

"The efforts of you and your people… along with the assistance of the Alliance is greatly appreciated, Commander. We… apologize for not taking your warnings about Saren's plans…" Sparatus started to talk but Liara interrupted him.

"Sovereign's plans. Saren was a means to an end, not the master mind. I know how this is going to play out, especially since you're giving humanity a seat on the Council. You'll make up some bull shit story that that… monster that attacked was a geth ship and sweep it all under the rug. Dispose of what parts you grab before they make it out onto the black market. Give everyone a pat on the back and it'll be business as usual." She retorted in annoyance.

"Shepard, the Council and I will…"

"Oh shove it Udina… the only reason you get to be Councilor is because I respect Anderson too much to stick him with the rest of this circus." Shepard snapped at him, effectively shutting him up.

"All I ask… because I don't expect any of you to take this seriously in the next month, is that whatever you decide to do… whatever lie you feed the galaxy… that you don't squander the time we have sitting with your thumbs up your butts. The Reapers are out there and they know of us and they will come for us. One of those ships is a fleet on its own. Hundreds of them will be the end of us if you don't start making plans now." She said in a serious tone, green eyes flashing with hardened zeal.

"We will take your words to heart. This attack has been a lesson to us all but the remnants of Saren's geth fleet is still out there and we do not know what their motivations are now." Tevos interjected before an argument broke out, knowing that Shepard was purposely trying to bait them.

"I know what that's code for. My crew will be ready to depart in seventy-two hours. I think they all deserve some shore leave." Shepard retorted, not bothering to salute them before storming off.

When she reached the C-SEC offices, she found Liara waiting for her with Garrus. The two seemed to be absorbed in some kind of conversation but it quickly stopped when the turian noticed her showing up.

"Oh, don't let me interrupt you two. I can go pester the SPECTRE requisitions officer for a bit." She said with a grin.

"I wouldn't want to get between you two. The Commander might tear my arms off. You two have fun." Garrus teased suggestively before wandering off.

"Do I really come off that way?" Laura asked, sounding a bit concerned.

"Garrus is just making fun of you, Shepard. How did it go with the Council?" Liara chuckled, leading her away from the C-SEC building again.

"Udina's already kissing their asses and they gave me a few pats on the back before, politely, telling me to go fuck myself in politician speech. They're going to have us route the remnants of the geth fleet after this shore leave is over." She retorted sourly.

"I'm guessing they still don't take the Reaper threat seriously."

"No… and they won't until the fleet is literally on top of us. I can't completely blame them, since they have to keep whole planets calm but I wish they look me like I'm insane. They didn't see what we saw and they want evidence… it practically rained down on them and they saw it right before them but they won't believe it… they're not going to until they come for us." Shepard sighed heavily.

"We won't let that happen. We know the truth… and we will be here to remind them when needed. Besides, I'll be here with you… along with the rest of the Normandy crew." Liara replied warmly, taking Shepard's hand in her own.

"At least one thing I'm confident in." She said, stopping and pulling the asari to her.

"And that is what?"

"Nothing will keep me from you, Liara. Nothing."


	17. Torn Asunder

Apologies for the long delay yet again. Only a single chapter this time, since it is a 'bridge' between the first and second games' story arcs. I skimmed over referenced events from Redemption and Lost Paragon (very vague reference there). As always, thanks for the views and comments and look forward to more.

I have plans for Hannah Shepard later on, you'll see. It'll be fantastic.

* * *

The day of the memorial service was filled with bitter sorrow. The crew was lucky so many of them had escaped but, unfortunately, Laura Shepard had not. Her body had not been recovered, so the Alliance was holding a memorial service for her on Earth, name added to a plaque of heroes that had been lost in the far reaches of space. Many attended though Liara, Garrus, Wrex, and Tali stood out amongst the multitude of humans. Joker was a mess, since he had been the last to see Shepard and according to him, she had died saving him. Liara wanted to blame him but knew that wasn't fair to Joker. They all had been hit by the loss of the Commander, their friend… her lover. Even Wrex couldn't completely hide his anger and sorrow.

Others were in attendance too, including Captain Anderson and Councilor Udina, though the Councilor only showed up to 'represent' the Council as a whole. The service included speeches by several people and then a twenty-one gun salute before a bronzed plaque was added to the wall. After the ceremony, the crowd dispersed, allowing the remnants of the team and the Normandy crew to pay their own respects. Liara could barely hold it together, choking back sobs as the loss of her lover still felt like her heart had been torn from her. Ashley wrapped an arm around her shoulder to support her, her own eyes red and moist with unshed tears.

"Excuse me but I don't mean to intrude…" A stern but oddly familiar voice called out.

At first, Liara's heart leapt at the sound of the voice, since it sounded so much like Laura's but when she lifted her head to see who it was, she had to do a double take. The woman standing there looked like an older version of Laura. She had dark auburn hair and an eye patch over her right eye. She was also dressed in a dress uniform, numerous medals pinned to the left side of her chest. Ashley immediately straightened her back and saluted but the woman chuckled and shook her head.

"Please, no need to salute me Ms. Williams." She replied casually, taking a look at everyone there.

They all took a few steps back to allow her to approach the memorial. The woman gave them a silent nod before moving to stand in front of it, setting the flower she had in her hand down with the rest. She traced her finger tips along the plaque and sighed heavily. She turned back to them, still smiling sadly.

"Thank you… oh, where are my manners? I'm Hannah Shepard, Laura's mother." She said

"Her… mother? I… we are sorry for your loss ma'am." Ashley replied, still looking a bit tense around a high ranked official.

"Well, this would be the second time I've lost her. You are the team she put together to fight Saren and the geth, correct?"

"Yes… and some of the surviving crew of the Normandy. I… was the last one to see her. She died saving me." Joker spoke up.

"I recognize you… Joker, right? Laura mentioned you all in her letter shortly before her mission to Virmire. I… lost touch with my daughter after what happened on Akuze. I pushed her away when she needed me most and now… well, I'd like to get to know the kind of woman my daughter became in the end. Would you all like to join me for dinner?" Hannah replied.

At first, no one was sure if they should accept the invitation but they weren't leaving Earth until tomorrow afternoon and no one had any plans. Plus… Liara as well as a few others were curious about Hannah and what stories she might have about Shepard and her family. Hannah's demeanor perked up when they all accepted, though only Joker and Dr. Chakwas from the Normandy's crew were attending along with the team. The rest had other plans or simply wanted to do their own thing.

Though Liara knew Shepard had grown up on star ships, she was amazed by the house Hannah brought them to. It was large with a classic architecture that was about a hundred years behind the buildings surrounding it. Apparently, during her recovery, Hannah had taken an extended leave to nurse Laura here when she was discharged from the hospital. The house on the inside had modern furnishings and enough guest rooms to accommodate all of them, if they chose to stay. Liara was quite amazed at just how 'old' the Shepard family was… it almost had the same atmosphere as one of her digs.

"This house has been part of the Shepard family for generations. We try to keep the aesthetics intact without falling behind in the times. My husband was raised here and so was Laura, partially." Hannah regaled as they all sat in the living room, sharing drinks.

"What happened to your husband?" Dr. Chakwas asked as she poured herself more wine.

"The attack on Elysium. Aedan was stationed there to train the newbies on some new tactics when the batarians showed up, rest his soul. He was a good man… stubborn bastard but good at heart." She replied, raising her glass in a silent toast before taking a long drink.

The conversation tapered off for a moment as everyone was still processing Laura's death. The attack on the Normandy had been jarring and all of them knew it had not been a geth ship. Though still saddened, Liara found an odd reassurance and comfort in listening to Hannah talk, though she seemed to be purposely avoiding topics around Laura herself. Finally, the asari decided to take the risk and learn more about her lost love.

"What was Laura like… before Akuze?" She asked a bit tentatively.

Hannah's expression sobered up a bit and she was quiet, setting down her glass on the coffee table. After minute or so, she got up and retrieved a data disk from the counter and popped it to display what was on it. It was an album of photos and videos of Laura as a kid.

"Like her father… she always took after her father. Stubborn little scrapper… always getting into fights, sticking up for others. Heart of gold… scrawny too." Hannah laughed, pulling up a picture of a much younger Laura, with scrawny limbs and missing a front tooth. The picture was endearing to look at and earned a few chuckles from the crew. The pictures cycled through most of her childhood on star ships, stories of the trouble she'd get into as she got older up until her enlistment.

"She was so happy when she was chosen for the N7 program… only thing she took after in me was being a sniper. Complete natural, good eye, keen sense… good smarts too. All the instructors praised her ability but she was still young. Brash, reckless… and they gave her the assignment to Akuze. The other thing she inherited from me… pride." Hannah sighed.

"You don't think she was ready?" Wrex questioned.

"She needed another eight months at least. She wasn't used to working with such a large team. I know it wasn't really anyone's fault on what happened in Akuze but… that was beyond what she was capable of handling." Hannah replied sourly, finishing her glass and refilling it.

"Sorry to interrupt but it's gonna bother me all night… how'd you lose your eye, Shepard?" Joker burst out, earning odd looks from the rest of the team and a laugh from Hannah.

"Sniper… good friend of mine but Alliance found out he was a Cerberus plant. Very good sniper, took my eye with him but he took a bullet between his." She chuckled, running her fingers over the grafted metal plate over her eye socket.

"Why not a prosthetic?" Dr. Chakwas asked this time.

"Eye patch is cooler… plus it's intimidating when I'm training the green horns." Hannah replied in amusement.

They went back to exchanging stories. Hannah seemed very interested in their missions and how they had all met the Commander. Once they realized it was getting late, they decided to head back to their lodgings, thanking Hannah for her hospitality in this time of grief… everyone except Liara. She decided to stay behind for a little longer. She felt like she should let Hanna know about her relationship with Laura but wasn't sure how to word it. She helped carry the used glasses and empty bottles into the kitchen while Hannah was cleaning them.

"Thank you Dr. T'Soni." Shepard replied in appreciation.

"Please, Liara is just fine. I… wanted to talk with you about a… matter. I don't know if she told you before…"

"That you and her were lovers? Oh, I know but then she didn't tell me out right in her last message to me but I recognize the grief of losing someone you love deeply. I imagine I looked the same as you when I lost Aedan." Hannah replied somberly, setting aside the glass she had just finished washing.

The atmosphere suddenly became quite tense and somber and Liara wondered if she should not have bothered mentioning it. Then, she noticed that Hannah had her hands braced on the counter and was fighting back tears. She sniffed and wiped her eye clear and gave Liara a sad smile.

"Sorry about that… just as she was finishing rehab, I got the news Aedan had been killed and it devastated me. At that time, I got so caught up in my own grief that I didn't realize the damage I was doing to her until it was too late. We had a tremendous fight and she just left. If I could take it all back… I would but now… I didn't even have the chance to apologize…" Hannah explained, choking on her last few words as she started to sob.

Liara immediately grabbed one of the clean glasses and filled it with water from the tap, placing a hand on the human's shoulder as she cried. It took several minutes for Hannah to calm down, wiping the tears from her cheek. Hannah thanked her for the glass of water before guiding them back to the living room and sitting down. The human remained silent for another minute or so before finding her voice.

"Was she good to you?" She asked, sounding a bit worried.

"Huh?"

"I mean… did she treat you well during your relationship with her? She loved you?" Hannah clarified.

"Oh! Yes… she was wonderful. Laura often fretted about me during missions and when we… melded to figure out what Saren was after. Her mind was very troubled when we first met but she had such a warm heart. I love… loved her very much." Liara replied warmly.

"I see… I got one more message from her, a call actually. She spoke about you and the way she sounded… I never dreamed she'd find someone she'd be so head over heels for like she was for you. I've had a few stints with asari so I know how the mind meld thing works but not on an intimate level. It must have been pretty intense for you two."

"Yes. It is difficult to explain… but Laura was very sweet and I… I don't know what to do after this. I just feel like my heart's been ripped from me and I don't know if I should feel sad or angry…" Liara continued, feeling her frustrations bubble to the surface again.

"Be all of it at once. We all grieve in different ways but… there is something I want to know. That I have to know. Everyone will worship her as a hero… all of you, actually but rumors are already spreading through Alliance brass and the tabloids that Laura was going crazy about this Reaper stuff. You were there through the whole thing and I don't believe shit the Council or Alliance is saying about what attacked the Normandy."

"You… want to be certain that the Reapers are a real threat? They are… I think they are the largest threat we will face." Liara told her in a serious tone.

"Thank you… and thank you for staying Liara. I'm glad we got to meet finally. Oh… before you head out, I have something for you. Laura intended to give this to you but… well, circumstances are different." Hannah replied, getting to her feet and fishing something out of her pocket, placing in it in the asari's hand.

Liara immediately recognized the touch of metal before she looked at the object in the palm of her hand. It was a ring made of braided bands of gold and silver with cut emeralds along the center. The ring, though polished, looked to have quite a bit of age on it. It was sitting on a chain of delicate looking gold links.

"A ring?" Liara asked quizzically, confused by the gift.

"Another Shepard relic, an engagement ring actually. It's an old human custom that when we decide we want to spend the rest of our lives with someone, we gift them a ring and make wedding plans for the next two years after. Laura asked me about it in her last message. At first, I thought she had lost her mind or it was another one of those flings but after having met you personally… she couldn't have made a better choice." Hannah explained to her, a sad but hopeful smile on her face.

"She… I… I can't accept this, Hannah." Liara choked, fresh tears starting to flood her eyes.

"Please do. It's the one and only request she ever made of me. And… having something to hold on to will help in the months to come. Liara, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to get in touch with me. I'd… like to know you better as well."

The thought of getting to know Hannah, and through her getting to know Laura better, was appealing but she needed time to think about it. The asari pocketed the ring and thanked the human for her words and time before giving her a hug and leaving. Liara returned to the hotel the squad was staying in but she felt restless. She couldn't help but stare at the ring given to her, the implications of what could have been resonating deep within her.

The trip back to the Citadel was awkwardly quiet, especially with the human part of the crew missing. It was just Liara, Garrus, Wrex, and Tali on a ship and even when they got to the Citadel, they ended up going their separate ways. Without Shepard, there was nothing holding them together. Garrus returned to C-SEC, Wrex and Tali went to their respective homes, leaving Liara by herself. At first, she tried throwing herself back into her research but after everything… all it did was make her think about Shepard. The grief was still too raw, too strong… and it was slowly eating her alive. She took on an apprentice to help her refocus on her Prothean studies… to help prepare for the Reapers but it bore little fruit and did even less to keep her mind off her grief.

* * *

Only a couple of months passed before the rumors started to emerge; that Shepard had been found. At first, they were just wayside tabloid rumors and conspiracies about the Commander. Though still listed as MIA in the official records, some were starting to speculate that the destruction of the Normandy had been used to hide the fact she had gone deep undercover… but Liara knew that wasn't the case. She picked through everything she could find, even the findings on the increasing Collector attacks on human colonies on the fringes of the Traverse… and Shepard's body. That was what consumed her even more when word spread that, at first, people had sighted the Commander but Liara had picked them all apart as hoaxes. However, word that her body may have been recovered gave her hope… hope to put this all to rest at last.

She got in touch with a reliable contact on Omega… at least, she believed him to be reliable at first. A Drell named Feron who had once worked for the Shadow Broker but now was employed by Cerberus and through him, Cerebrus wanted Liara to recover Shepard's body and give it to them. She, tentatively, agreed and only because she wanted to get ahold of Shepard's body before the Shadow Broker did… who intended to sell it to the Collectors for reasons unknown. The whole adventure… or disaster as she viewed it, had so many close calls and in the end, Feron used himself to buy Liara time to escape with the Commander's body.

When she got to the facility, Miranda was waiting for her. Several humans in lab coats immediately took possession of the coffin, checking the systems and readings on it before handing Miranda a datapad and leaving with it. She took a step as if to stop them but stopped.

"The body is in worse shape that we first speculated... this may not work." Miranda commented as she looked over the information handed to her.

"Then… this was for nothing. This is wrong… Laura should be buried." Liara replied, crestfallen.

"We don't know what the Collectors interest in Shepard's body… so there's no guarantee they wouldn't attack Earth or anywhere to recover her. The Lazarus Project will go ahead as planned."

"What about Feron? The Shadow Broker has him by now." Liara demanded, suddenly sounding very agitated.

"He knew the risks when he took the job. You are welcome to go after him if you'd like. I'm sure the Shadow Broker would be eager to meet you in person, Dr. T'Soni." Miranda replied a bit coldly before leaving.

Liara just stood there, feeling dirty for what she had done. Everything decent about her screamed that she shouldn't have done this but she just couldn't let go. If there was just the slimmest of chances of getting Shepard back… she had to take it. No matter what, she couldn't ignore what her aching heart wanted and though it would have been the right and noble thing to lay her lover to rest, Liara couldn't… wouldn't let herself do that.

Though the end of this journey, Liara had a new purpose now… someone else needed her help and she'd be damned if she didn't do everything she could to rescue Feron and punish the Shadow Broker.


	18. Rebirth in Flames

Finally, moving into the ME2 story arc now. Long delay but, I finally made some progress. There was one thing about ME2 that kinda rankled me and it was just how easily Shepard accepted the whole 'oh, you've been dead this whole time' situation... so, Laura has a bit of a harder time coping with that fact as well as the repercussions of being alive.

Hope you readers continue to enjoy!

* * *

_"Shit… running out of air… can't stop spinning… gonna die… can't breathe… air… Liara…"_

Laura woke up gasping for air, the pain of drowning on nothing agonizing as oxygen rushed into her lungs. A sharp pain in her side made her groan and the shaking wasn't helping… wait, shaking? Disoriented, Laura lifted her head and, slowly, sat up. Her entire body ached but that wasn't what was weirding her out.

"H-how… how am I alive?" She muttered, staring at her hands as if seeing them for the first time.

"Shepard! Shepard, can you hear me?!" An unfamiliar female voice called over the intercom system in the room.

"Who's that?" Laura called, unsure if the person could even hear her.

"Good, you're awake. The soreness and weakness should wear off but… you need to get up. Now. There's a locker across the room with equipment. Make your way to the shuttle bay as quickly as possible." The woman ordered.

"Wait! What the fuck is going on?!" Larura yelled but received no answer.

"Great…" Laura muttered as she swung her legs over and attempted to stand.

Her knees immediately buckled from underneath her and she fell to the floor before she could catch herself. Pain radiated through her entire body, like she had been shot several times but there was no injuries that she could feel. Slowly, Shepard picked herself up and braced herself on the table until her legs felt strong enough to stand on her own. She limped over to the locker and opened it, finding a suit of armor emblazoned with the N7 red and white stripe on the right arm. She frowned, wondering if she was in some kind of Alliance hospital but the place was constantly shaking and she was certain she could hear gunfire somewhere.

After getting dressed and arming herself with, unfortunately, an empty gun, she stumbled out of the infirmary and found herself in an unfamiliar hallway. Having no clue as to where she was supposed to be going, she wandered about carefully. It seemed the security droids had gone rouge and were purging the whole station… though Laura still had no idea who this station belonged to or where the hell it was located. All she knew was that she had woken up in hell.

When she emerged in a main corridor, she saw a man pinned down by several mechs across the way. She recognized the yellow symbol on his sleeve as the insignia to Cerberus and grimaced. Had she been taken captive? Why couldn't she remember anything after saving Joker? Her last few memories were of running out of air, choking on nothing…

"Damn, didn't think you were awake Shepard. They said you'd be on ice for another six months." The man said as she slid into cover next to him.

"I'm still trying to get up to speed. Who the fuck are you and where the fuck am I and the FUCK is going on?!" Shepard demanded, her temper very short right now.

The man introduced himself as Jacob, part of the facility's security team... and the last surviving member as far as he was aware. He explained to her what he knew, that Shepard had indeed died during the attack on the Normandy but Cerberus recovered her body and spent nearly three years and billions of credits putting her back together… but for what purpose, he did not know. With his help, they made their way through the facility and to the shuttles with Wilson, only to run into the voice she had been hearing from bits and pieces of audio logs and who had woken her up, Miranda Lawson. She immediately shot Wilson without a moment's hesitation. Shepard immediately leapt back and aimed her gun at Miranda.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Everyone just calm down here." Jacob cut in worriedly.

"I want answers! Now! I'm tired of being fucked with around here and I know you Cerberus people are dangerous. How long have you kept me prisoner here?" Laura demanded, lips curling in aggravation.

"You weren't a prisoner… you were a patient, as I'm sure you've discovered on your own. Now you have two choices… you can stay here and burn with the station or you can come with us and find out what this is all about." Miranda retorted coldly, completely unphased by having a weapon pointed at her.

Laura struggled with the decision for a moment, spitting a swear before lowering her arm and holstering her weapon. She climbed into the shuttle with the two of them and they left the facility to ruin. Laura could feel Miranda staring at her, also messing with her omni-tool.

"Why are you staring at me?" Laura asked in a sour tone.

"To determine if the Lazarus Project was a success, I have to run a psychological profile on you to ensure you are who you are, Shepard." She replied curtly.

"I'm not answering any of your fucking questions. Where are we going?" Shepard refused flatly.

"Another Cerberus facility. Shepard, we're not your enemies here." Jacob interjected, deciding to try and smooth things over.

"Sure you aren't. How the hell did I end up as you… 'patient'? All I remember is the Normandy blowing up…"

"And you were killed. You've spent nearly three years dead, Shepard. We retrieved your corpse and the Illusive Man has poured billions of credits and a great deal of Cerberus's resources into bringing you back... though I am beginning to find it a bit of a waste." Miranda explained to her.

"The Illusive Man? The man behind Cerberus? What the bloody fuck does he want with me?"

"A lot's happened in the three years you've been gone. Now, I'd like to get these questions over with before we arrive."

After going through the questionnaire, they had arrived at the station. Laura felt like a fish out of water… especially with trying to understand that she had missed on almost three years of time and events. Udina and the Council were shaping new galactic policies, Alliance colonies had expanded further into the Traverse and, consequently, suddenly going dark. Of course… the whole Reaper matter had been swept under the rug. She wondered how many people had died on the Normandy and if any of her companions had been taken. She thought to ask, but decided to save those questions for the Illusive Man himself. However… it was simply a holographic meeting. She wasn't all that surprised it was not face to face. No one knew who the Illusive Man was or where he was.

He explained the situation, that the colonies were going dark and that the Collectors were, highty likely, behind the kidnappings. At first, Shepard was dubious about entire colonies being kidnapped but when he explained that was whom who attacked the Normandy three years ago and she recalled the size of the ship and its fire-power… it didn't seem so far-fetched. However, the idea of being forced to help Cerberus left a bitter taste in the back of her throat, she had no choice but to comply. Once out of the meeting room, Miranda and Jacob were standing around, waiting. She decided, as much as she didn't like the woman, to start with Miranda.

"I take it the meeting with the Illusive Man went well?" Miranda asked.

"Sure, we'll go with that. I trusted you not to shoot me back on that station so I think I'm due some god damn answers now." Laura grumbled sourly at her in return.

"Fair enough… though I don't know what more I can tell you."

"H-How? I shouldn't be alive… this is a fucking impossibility. I cannot be me… no one can resurrect the dead. I'm a fucking clone, aren't I?" Shepard demanded, so many questions coming to mind.

"I assure you Shepard that you are not a clone but the one and only. Your body was in terrible shape when it was recovered from Alchera. I was the leader of the Lazarus Project… and for awhile, I believed the Illusive Man was wasting his time and Cerberus's resources on you but in the end, he was right."

"But why? Why the fuck did you have to perform some Frankenstein shit on me for… disappearing colonies?!"

"The Alliance and the Council aren't doing much to help and the fact that the Collectors are involved, who normally haven't been anywhere near this active or hostile. The Illusive Man suspects the Reapers are involved in the Collector's sudden aggressive behavior… and they were after you specifically."

"After me?"

"Yes… they attempted to retrieve your corpse with the assistance of the Shadow Broker." Miranda replied.

"That still doesn't answer why the fuck anyone would… would play god! Why me?!" Laura demanded.

"You are a hero, Shepard. A great deal of the galaxy changed after what you managed to accomplish against Saren and Sovereign… and many will look to you again."

Laura wasn't buying anything from Miranda but talking to Jacob didn't help matters much. He was completely clueless about the Lazarus Project and things going on in general, only knowing whatever he was told. She was surprised he had once been an Alliance man and that only made her more suspicious of him. Cerberus was very pro-human and she didn't approve of their extreme and violent methods to get their agenda across. However, she would have to swallow her misgivings and work with them for the time being… at least, until she could get in touch with someone from her crew and figure out what was going on.

* * *

It was eerie how empty Freedom's Progress was… the silence reminded her of the colony on Akuze… though it was really bothering her that there was no signs of conflict at all. How did an entire colony just… vanish like that? No corpses, blood, bullet marks… only the mechs that made up the colony's defense grid but evecn they appeared untouched by whatever had claimed the colonists. No signs of life at all… at least, not until they barged into one of the abandoned home units…

"Shepard?!"

"Tali?!"

Laura stared in surprise at the quarian, recognizing her by both voice and her distinctive suit. It hadn't changed since then, but then Laura felt like she had only seen her barely a day ago… not three years. She immediately holstered her weapon and hugged Tali as they met in the middle. Both of their teams seemed confused by the interaction but neither really cared.

"You're alive! I… I can't believe it!" Tali said, voice lofty with disbelief.

"Believe me, I'm as shocked as you are. Did everyone make it off the Normandy?"

"The squad did and most of the crew but… you and twenty of the crew were killed, including Pressley. How… where have you been all this time?"

"You wouldn't believe me…"

"Commander. I'd hate to interrupt this little reunion but we have a mission to finish up here." Miranda chided impatiently.

Laura glared at Miranda and blew her off, pulling Tali aside so they could speak privately. She was here looking for a quarian named Veetor, who had settled in the colony as part of his Pilgrimage. They suspected that during the initial attack on Freedom's Progress, his suit had had a serious breech and he was now delirious and quite ill. She was here to bring him home and have him properly treated bu Veetor had reprogrammed all the mechs to protect him. Getting to him wasn't going to be easy but Laura trusted Tali and decided, despite Miranda's misgivings, that they would work together. Tali mistrusted Cerberus for obvious reasons but she didn't believe Laura was working with them by choice.

However, Tali's team did not share the same trust or sentiment as her and as soon as the two groups had a good distance between each other, they attempted to rush ahead and get to Veetor before Laura's team did… only to meet death at the hands of an YMIR that Veetor had hacked as his last line of defense. By the time they arrived, most of Tali's team was dead. With Shepard there, however, the YMIR was soon destroyed, leaving the way to Veetor clear. The poor quarian wasn't even aware of them when they first entered the control room. He was replaying a video on the security feeds over and over again… one that revealed that the Collectors had indeed been here and had, somehow, managed to take every one of the colonists.

"We have what we need." Shepard said with a note of finality in her voice.

"We should take Veetor into custody and bring him back with us. He might have answers…" Miranda started to interject, Tali interrupting her only to have them both silence by Shepard.

"Let's get one thing straight, Mrs. Lawson. You may be my XO and the Illusive Man's right hand but I am only working WITH Cerberus, not FOR you. Get that distinction quite clear in your head. Veetor is going back with Tali so he can be treated properly by his own. This video will be enough. Do I make myself clear?" She growled at her.

Miranda's brow furrowed and she could see the woman's jaw tighten but she protested no further. Once Veetor was escorted out of the room, Tali and Shepard went outside to talk. Seeing the quarian had brought some relief… but also raised so many questions, she wasn't sure where to start.

"Shepard, what happened?" Tali asked, finally breaking the frozen silence between them.

"I… this is going to sound crazy but, I don't know. I remember the attack clearly… it feels like yesterday. I shoved Joker into the escape pod but an explosion knocked me away so… I just sent him off before the ship's next attack and then… there was this huge flash."

Shepard started to shake, her breath getting short. It was like having one of her nightmares but, for some reason, she felt oddly attached. Remembering it was jarring but at the same time, part of her had a hard time coping with the fact that it HAD happened. That it had been real.

"I was suddenly thrown from the wreckage and by the time I managed to slow myself… so many alarms were going off. My air hose got cut and I couldn't get to it… I could feel my oxygen running out… Tali, I felt myself die. I know I did but… somehow, Cerberus did what's supposed to be impossible. I don't know how but… they either pieced me back together or managed to clone me." Laura sighed, running a hand through her mussed hair.

"I'm sure you'll figure out what happened Shepard. I have to get going… keep in touch, will you?" Tali said, patting her on the shoulder before bringing up her omni-tool so they could exchange contact information.

Laura waited until she was gone before turning her attention back to the security room. Thankfully, they had what they needed and didn't need to loiter about Freedom's Progress any longer. However, Laura was completely silent during the entire shuttle trip. She just stared out the window, watching the planet shrink and the stars go back. Miranda noted her silence with worry but keep her eyes from lingering for too long. She wondered what her and the quarian had talked about, surmising the alien had been quite surprised to see her former Commander alive and well… mostly well anyway. She would need to keep a close eye on her, just in case her mental stability took a sudden turn for the worse.

* * *

_To: Dr. Liara T'Soni_

_From: Tali'Zorah vas Neema_

_She's alive!_

_I couldn't believe it at first, since she was with two people I didn't recognize who bore Cerberus markings but…_

_It was really her. We talked a little, she seems really confused about what's going on. She said Cerberus managed to put her back together. Crazy, right? Was kind of odd to see her without the scarring. But I know it's Laura… though I can't imagine what Cerberus did to her._

_I thought I'd let you know because, if she's really the same old Shepard, she's going to track you down and drop by._


	19. The Dark Citadel

As you may note, I'm beginning and ending each chapter through this phase of the ME story with messages between various characters as Shepard reconnects with people who had thought had lost her and makes new allies. They'll be fairly short as well so they're not eating up each chunks of space... though no promises, haha. The first few are gonna be pretty somber but I promise some of the ones you'll see will be a bit lighthearted.

Thanks for the continued views :)

* * *

_To: Tevara Ashan_

_From: Laura Shepard_

_This isn't a crank message. It's really me._

_I don't know how to explain all that's happened but the long and short of it, for the time being, is I've been incapacitated for the past 3 years and now back around, though in circumstances right now that are beyond my control._

_I can't imagine what you and the girls went through and maybe this isn't best but… I want to talk with you… if you want to see me. I feel like this will go better (or worse) if I explain it to you face to face. It won't be long. Word of my appearance will likely spread soon enough._

_P.S. Could you, if you aren't seethingly pissed at me right at this moment, ask Sha'ira if she'd be willing to slip me in between clients? It's important to answering some questions about my disappearance that I have no answers for._

* * *

"Back together again… fighting the good fight, right Commander?" Joker commented in a light tone, trying to cheer up Laura's somber attitude.

Shepard sat in the cockpit with him, watching him pilot the ship with the assistance of the Normandy's new, and unwanted, AI system EDI. Neither of them liked the idea that the ship could 'talk' and think but they didn't really have much choice in the matter at this point. She had a broody expression on her face, lost in thought.

When they had gotten back from Freedom's Progress, the Illusive Man gave her the task of putting together a new team. Her squad… they had all gone their separate ways. Wrex and Tali had gone back home to deal with their own matters. Ashley was promoted within the ranks of the Alliance, Garrus had gone off grid over a year ago, and Liara… that was the hardest thing for her to swallow. Liara, HER Liara, working for the Shadow Broker? Laura believed the Illusive Man had lied to her about that, to keep her away from Illium and focused on their first location and pair of recruits.

"Hey Laura… are you ok?" Joker asked in concern, snapping her back into the here and now.

"Huh? Oh… not really. Do you believe they really just… put me back together?" She asked.

"I don't know how else you'd be here. If they had cloned you, they still wouldn't be able to make it perfect. There's just too many things about you the rest of us are familiar with, except for the Cerberus crew of course." Joker replied confidently, giving her a warm smile.

"Suppose… I can't stop thinking about what happened…"

"I'm sorry. I should have evacuated as soon as the ship had been ripped in half… then you wouldn't have had to…" Joker responded sourly, hanging his head.

"Hey, not your fault. I'm glad I saved your stubborn ass. Just next time... remember to get out, ok?" She said in a lighter tone.

Once their conversation was finished, she went up to her quarters to clear her head and have a shower. When she had first seen them, she was amazed by how lavish they were. No other war ship had facilities like she did. However… it felt empty without Liara there to share it with her. She idly thought of what Liara would think of having a personal shower in the room but that thought led to the memories of their nights together. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply as she, vividly, remembered every touch, kiss, and word whispered and it made her heart ache. She glanced at the picture of her on her desk, courtesy of Ceberus of course before shaking her head.

"Horny and grumpy… great." She mumbled to herself before heading into the shower.

When she stripped off her clothes, she caught a glance of the glowing surgical scars on her back and chest, the biggest being the massive angry mark going from the base of her neck to just above her buttocks. It had numerous branches spreading out at random intervals, some spanning as far as her shoulder. She had already stitched up the minor scars on her face but this… not even the machine in the med-bay could repair. Dr. Chakwas had told her it would have to heal on its own but presented no, immediate, dangers to her health in its current state. She could still see the outlines of where cybernetics had been used to rebuild several parts of her spine under the oddly glowing skin. Shrugging it off, Laura took her shower, glad to have hot water readily available.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Commander!" Kelly yelped as she stumbled back

As soon as Laura had left the shower, she nearly bowled Kelly over. Her new… receptionist was constantly underfoot since Shepard had boarded the ship and it was getting on her nerves but she tried not to let her temper get the best of her. Kelly was clutching a couple of datapads against her chest, eyes wide and mouth hanging open as she stared at the Commander. It took a second for Laura to realize that Kelly was staring at her because she was only dressed in her 'regulation' sports bra and matching briefs with a towel around her neck.

"I… I'm sorry, I'll come back later!" Kelly announced, immediately adverting her gaze and heading for the door, only to have Laura grab her arm.

"Relax Ms. Chambers. You just caught me… modestly indecent. Did those dossiers come in?" She said, letting her go and heading for the main section of the room.

"Um, yes. These are the two the Illusive Man believes would benefit the team on our mission. One is a Salarian. Ex-STG and a renowned geneticist and scientist. The Illusive Man believes he will be crucial in combating and studying the Collectors and their methods. He opened a clinic on Omega some time ago… very well defended. The mercenaries stay away from him… which makes me believe he is also quite skilled in combat." Kelly reported, handing Shepard the first datapad before sitting down near her.

"I worked with an STG cell that got trapped on Virmire months… years ago. They aren't someone you want to mess with. Seems like the Illusive Man did his homework at least. Who's the other we're supposed to pick up on Omega?" Shepard

"He's only known as Arch Angel. Based on sightings in security feeds and witness accounts, Arch Angel is likely a turian." Kelly replied, handing her the second datapad.

"A vigilante? On Omega? Dude suicidal or something?" Laura asked after glancing through the information.

"No one knows, Commander. His identity is completely unknown. He showed up on Omega about six months ago and has been causing a great deal of trouble for the mercenaries… something that haven't taken very kindly to. All three of the major groups; Blood Pack, Blue Suns, and Eclipse, have been attempting to capture or kill him." Kelly summarized for her.

"Hmmm… like him already. Alright, so we know who our first volunteers are but... who's our contact on Omega?"

"That would be Aria T'loak. The self-proclaimed 'Queen' of Omega. Very little gets past her… she practically runs the whole station. Even the mercenaries are scared of her. Though I doubt she'll help us directly, she should be able to point you in the right direction to finding Mordin and Arch Angel."

Laura tossed the two datapads onto the coffee table and lounged back. Kelly swallowed nervously, trying to keep her eyes from focusing on the Commander but it was difficult with the amount of skin she was showing… plus the reconstruction have given her quite a bit of muscle tone. Kelly had studied her extensively well before their actual meeting but meeting her in person… there was some things her profiling had not prepared her for, since it hadn't been guaranteed she would come back completely the same.

"Am I distracting you, Ms. Chambers?" Laura asked, feeling the Yeoman's stare on her.

"Oh, no… not really, Commander. I did want to ask if you… felt up to talking." Kelly stammered, quickly finding an excuse to hide the real reason.

"Right… I forget you're a trained psychologist. I suppose you want to pick my brain, send an evaluation to Miranda and the Illusive Man if I'm not a rabid dog or something like that?" Laura retorted.

"Well, I don't report to anyone but you, Commander. Anything you tell me will be strictly confidential." Kelly assured her.

"Aside from what EDI hears… and I've already found most of Miranda's bugs. Woman's not very trusting is she?"

"I wouldn't know but Miranda is a very… precautious person but, if you don't mind, I'd like to focus on you."

Laura sighed, seeing she wasn't going to get out of it. Kelly's methods, however, were rather different from what she expected. They simply talked, her Yeoman gently prodding at events here and there, learning about how she was feeling and thinking since waking up. The disconnection from some of her memories, as Kelly told her, was to be expected as her mind tried to cope with understanding it was about three years behind everyone else.

"So… am I insane?" Laura asked snidely.

"No. I think you're just confused and grieving to some degree. It's a lot to take in… most would snap under the stress by now." Kelly commented with a hint of admiration.

"Well… Cerberus went through the trouble of putting me back together. Would hurt my reputation if I pussy out now." Laura retorted sourly.

Kelly noticed her glance at the picture of the asari on her desk. She knew the Commander had had a very intimate relationship with one of her squad members. At first, it had puzzled her why the Commander had bonded with an asari and finding insights into the matter but the intimacy between the two had been very private as well.

"You miss her, don't you?" Kelly asked, deciding to brave into potentially dangerous waters with the conversation.

"Ya… a lot. Our last night together was the day before we were attacked. I remember it so vividly, like it just happened… though I remember all of them. She's gonna be so pissed to hear I'm around again… she must hate me." Laura sighed, wringing her hands together.

"I don't think she hates you, Shepard. Have you tried getting in touch with her?" Kelly pressed.

"No… just doesn't seem like a good idea. By now, she's probably gotten over me. I don't want to reopen old wounds just because… well, time hasn't passed for me. It doesn't feel like I lost her even though I know I died and… I don't know if I could explain it to her. She's very smart but if what the Illusive Man told me is true about her… she's not the same Liara." Laura sighed, sitting back and running her fingers through her wet hair.

Before they could continue, EDI announced they were approaching Omega. Laura thanked Kelly for the datapads and got up, fetching the suit she wore under her armor. Seeing there was no longer an opportunity to dig further right now, Kelly politely left the room. Laura watched her leave, lips curled in a slight frown. She wasn't sure how to deal with Kelly still… the woman was kind of all over the place but she was dedicated to her job at least.

Once changed, Laura retrieved her armor from the locker on the main deck and pulled it on. For some reason, it felt heavier than it normally should but she figured it was because she was still trying to process everything. Barely a day had passed and she was already running around the galaxy, cleaning up the mess. Business as usual.

* * *

_To: Sha'ira_

_From: Tevara Ashan_

_I just received a message from Laura._

_At first, I thought it was a crank message but… I don't know, something about the wording made me doubt it was a fake. I don't know if I'm going to respond, I haven't even told the girls yet. I'm not sure what to think honestly but… she wants to see me to explain things I guess._

_She also wanted me to ask a favor and if you could slip her in between clients. I guess something's bothering her, so I'll just forward the message she sent me and you make what you will of it._

_Think I will chance it and try meeting her… though I'm undecided if I should hug and kiss her or punch her in the throat first._


End file.
